


Our Dance // Wolfstar

by its_camryn4



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Jegulus, M/M, Marauders, Mentions of Suicide, Starchaser, mentions of abuse, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29524707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_camryn4/pseuds/its_camryn4
Summary: Set in an alternate world. AKA no magic~~~Walburga and Regulus have lived in America for three years. First moved from London due to Walburga's job. After three years Walburga is told to go back to London but Regulus doesn't want to leave and proposes Sirius comes to care for him in America. Walburga agrees and Sirius comes to America where he reunites with his old friends James, Peter, Lily, and Marlene. He also meets Regulus's new friend Remus Lupin who was a friend of James' after Sirius left. The two click almost immediately and form a bond like no other.~~~Notes:Regulus is still in his last year of high school with Peter while the rest are in College.!TW!Abuse, mentions of abuse, mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts(I think that's all of them if I missed any please tell me so I can put them here)
Relationships: Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

"Regulus supper is here," Walburga called as she walked into the house holding a pizza box. Regulus looked up from his book that he was reading in the living room. He gently closed the book and walked to help his mother.

"Pizza on a Friday night? We've become all too American mother," Regulus joked as he pulled out two plates and served each of the two slices.

Walburga didn't respond to Regulus's joke, like usual, and instead just grabbed her plate then headed towards her office. Regulus sighed before grabbing his phone and sitting at the table.

As Regulus scrolled through his phone the all too familiar text tone went off. He clicked on the notification to see what James wanted from him.

_Let's go out tonight Reg. Peter and I are bored._

Regulus rolled his eyes before replying. _What about Remus?_

_He claims he's perfectly happy reading 🙄_

_Well maybe he is_

Regulus could practically hear James sigh.

_But that's boring!!!!!_

"Regulus! Come here a second," Walburga called from her office. Regulus put his phone down and wiped his hands before getting up and walking towards his mother.

"Yes, mother?" Regulus asked in the most monotone voice he could muster.

The older woman finished typing what looked to be an email before turning to her son. "Sit," she commanded, "this is important."

Regulus sat down in a chair that was in front of her desk, waiting for his mother to say what she called him in for.

"I've been relocated back to London. I was told today at work that I'd have to move back to London."

Regulus stayed silent and his expression fell ever so slightly.

"I'm supposed to be back in London by the end of next week. You have until then to be ready to move." Walburga went back to writing her email and Regulus sat in silence.

"I can't go with you."

"Excuse me?" Walburga was taken back by the sudden outburst from her usually cooperative son.

"I can't go back to London with you. I have too much here that I'd be leaving behind," Regulus explained to his mother.

Walburga took a deep breath and focused her attention back on Regulus. She took a long drink from her mug, probably drinking tea. "Regulus we both knew coming to America was temporary. We both knew that we'd be back in London after a few years."

Silence fell upon them. Regulus knew she was right but that didn't change his mind. The silence was unnerving for both of them however neither of them wanted to break it.

"What do you suggest we do then my son? I can't leave you here and you can't just stay with those friends of yours for the rest of high school."

When Regulus stayed silent after that Walburga went back to writing.

"I can't just abandon everything I have here."

Walburga sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "Then what do you propose we do?"

Regulus thought for a few seconds, trying to grab any solution he could think of. It hit him rather quickly and even he thought it was a dumb idea. Despite knowing the idea was that of a fool he still thought of a way to propose the idea. Deciding to just be blunt he took a deep breath and went for it.

"What about Sirius?"

"What about him?" Walburga asked in a rather distasteful tone, she spat the words out as if they were poison in her mouth.

"He's always wanted to come to America. He could care for me while you're away."

Walburga scoffed at the idea and didn't respond to him, hoping he'd let the suggestion go.

"Think about it mother. If you give him temporary legal guardianship over me then he could come to America and watch over me while you're in London. He's already finished high school and has been accepted to multiple universities in America as well. Some of which are very close."

"And how would he pay to take care of the both of you?" Walburga said trying to find anything to prove that Sirius would not be able to care for his younger brother.

"He'd get a job. I also have a job so it would be a team effort between the both of us. Mother please he's still your son-"

"That boy is not my son, Regulus. He's a disgrace to the Black family."

"Mother please he's gay not a murder," Regulus stated in an annoyed tone. Walburga didn't miss the eye roll that followed his statement.

"I will agree."

Regulus's eyes lit up.

"On a few conditions. Sirius needs to be here by Monday, if he doesn't have a job at the very most two weeks after I leave then you join me in London, if I find out he's not taking care of you at all then you join me in London, and if you start to fall behind in classes then you come to London. Do you understand Regulus?" Walburga asked firmly. Regulus nodded his head rapidly to which Walburga nodded once then motioned for him to get out.

As Regulus was leaving Walburga called out once more.

"Oh, and Regulus?"

The seventeen-year-old turned to face his mother once more.

"It's your job to tell him."

With a single nod and a hum of understanding, Regulus left her office and practically ran to his phone in the dining room. When he unlocked his phone, he saw multiple texts from James which he ignored at the moment. He went to the phone app and immediately searched for Sirius' contact.

The phone rang for a while and Regulus started to worry that Sirius wasn't going to pick up. It rang a few more times before Sirius picked up.

"Regulus time zones exist. It's late for me why are you calling?"

Sirius's voice was rough and you could tell he had been sleeping.

"Sorry for waking you but this couldn't wait for morning."

There was a sigh on the other end and Regulus worried Sirius would hang up thinking the younger boy was joking.

"What do you need little brother?" Sirus asked and Regulus smiled knowing Sirius would help him no matter the time.

Regulus knew his brother cared for him just like he did for him. When Walburga disowned Sirius and he ran Regulus was heartbroken. It had been so long before they started contacting one another again. Ever since they've been in contact.

"I need you to come to America."

"I'm sorry what?" Sirius sounded more awake now and Regulus could hear him moving around on the other side of the phone.

"By Monday."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in an alternate world. AKA no magic
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Walburga and Regulus have lived in America for three years. First moved from London due to Walburga's job. After three years Walburga is told to go back to London but Regulus doesn't want to leave and proposes Sirius comes to care for him in America. Walburga agrees and Sirius comes to America where he reunites with his old friends James, Peter, Lily, and Marlene. He also meets Regulus's new friend Remus Lupin who was a friend of James' after Sirius left. The two click almost immediately and form a bond like no other. 
> 
> ~~~  
> Notes:  
> Regulus is still in his last year of high school with Peter while the rest are in College. 
> 
> !TW!  
> Abuse, mentions of abuse, mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts  
> (I think that's all of them if I missed any please tell me so I can put them here)

Sirius hadn't slept at all for the rest of the night. 

After Regulus and Sirius had hung up the phone he sat with it against his face for a few more minutes before realizing. It was almost half-past one in the morning for him and he was tired but there was no way he would fall asleep again.

Regulus explained the situation to him and Sirius had told him he'd give it some thought over the night and have an answer in the morning. 

He still hadn't come to an answer yet. 

Walburga had disowned him at age fifteen so he moved back to London with a few friends. He'd finished out secondary school and stayed in a house with some of his friends. He felt bad for not paying rent so he started paying his friends' monthly rent for staying. 

Sirius hadn't contacted his mother in years. 

Now he had to go to America to stay in her house and care for his younger brother. He wouldn't say no, he couldn't do that to Regulus. The thought, however, still sent chills down his spine. 

Sirius picked up his phone once more and went to look at flights to Massachusetts. After looking for almost an hour he found the flight that was least expensive but still would be comfortable for him. It left that afternoon around three.

After booking his flight he got up quickly and pulled out his suitcase from under the bed. He had very few belongings, not wanting to accumulate too much in case he had to leave the house he stayed in. He packed his clothes into his suitcase along with a few of his books. 

Once his suitcase was packed he pulled out a backpack and put carry-on things inside it. His laptop, chargers, headphones, book, sketchpad, and a few other things. He placed both bags by his door and pulled out an outfit for the day that would be comfortable for a flight. 

Knowing that he was prepared but his mind at ease and he realized how tired he really was. Exhaustion hit him fast and before falling asleep on his small bed he sent a picture to Regulus of the bags followed by I'll see you soon. 

Sirius didn't bother waiting for a response before laying back down on the bed and falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

~~~

"Hold on Sirius is coming back?" James asked confused as the younger Black explained to him what happened.

Regulus nodded and James literally jumped up and down a few times. 

"This is amazing. Oh my god! Peter Sirius is coming back!" 

Peter and Regulus laughed at James' excitement but neither could blame him since Regulus was just as excited the day before about Sirius coming and Peter was happy that Regulus could stay. 

The three of them were at a park walking through and people watching mainly. Not really having anything in mind but wanting to spend time with each other. 

"It's a shame Remus couldn't hang out today," Regulus pointed out once James had stopped freaking out.

The other two boys nodded their heads in agreement. 

"Remus and his passion for wanting to go to Ilvermory," Peter said gaining a laugh from James and Regulus. Bringing up Remus made Regulus think. Remus and Sirius hadn't met before.

"Do you reckon Remus and Sirius will get along well?" Regulus asked the two boys. James opened his mouth to respond but closed it after a few seconds. 

"I don't know. They are quite opposite aren't they?" Peter asked and James nodded his head.

"Maybe this will be a case of opposites attract. Maybe they'll get on really well. You never know." James's words were reassuring and eased Regulus's worry a little bit. 

"That's true. Plus Sirius has always been a social butterfly. I'm sure it'll be fine Regulus." Peter put a hand on the boy's shoulder to provide him with some comfort and Regulus nodded his head. 

"You guys are right. I'm worried about nothing." 

Regulus's phone chimed and he looked to see a text from his older brother. 

"Sirius is boarding his plane now. He'll be here tonight." 

"Tell him I wish him luck with your mother, she's like a witch." James joked which pulled a laugh from Peter and a smile from Regulus. 

"He says he'll be okay and that he's excited to see us lot again," Regulus read off the message. Knowing his brother missed him made him smile along with James and Peter. 

Their best mate was coming back to see after six years of separation and the only form of contact was over the phone. 

"I guess I won't be able to spend time with you guys until my mother leaves. If I leave my mother alone with Sirius in the house together one of them will end up dead." Regulus put his phone back in his pocket and looked back to his friends. 

James was laughing at what Regulus had said causing Peter to join in. 

"Your mother is...how do I put this nicely?" James pondered aloud.

"If you describe Mrs. Black then you can't put it nicely," Peter mumbled however James and Regulus still heard it. They both bust out laughing. 

"Alright alright. I know my mother is well herself. Let's go to Ilvermory and wait for Remus. He should be done in a little bit." Regulus stood up and adjusted his coat while James and Peter followed his actions. They made their way down the streets and towards Ilvermory. 

~~~

Sirius made his way through the airport and towards baggage claim to find his suitcase. It took about ten minutes for the conveyer belt to start moving and for him to push through the crowd of people and grab his bag. 

Once Sirius had gotten his bag he went down another two levels, finally reaching the ground level. Sirius stood for a second, taking in the sight. It was nothing impressive but he hadn't seen it in six years. 

The young man was knocked out of his trance by someone running into him. 

"Sorry," Sirius muttered after collecting himself however the person who ran into him was already moving on. The person was muttering something along the lines of 'fucking tourists' and fixing his blazer. 

With a roll of his eyes, Sirius moved on to where he would take the bus to the city. More specifically where the bus stop was. There weren't many people waiting at the same bus stop but Sirius still took the time to people watch. Many of them looked like they were on a business trip while others looked like tourists. 

It was only a few minutes before a bus arrived at the stop and motioned for everyone to get on. Sirius was the last person to get on and he found a seat towards the back of the bus where not many others were sitting. He placed his suitcase on the shelf above the seats then sat down. 

After everyone was seated the bus started moving. Sirius pulled out his phone and plugged his headphones in. Putting his playlist on shuffle, Sirius took a deep breath and laid his head back. It wasn't long before Sirius fell into a light sleep. The soft melody of his music playing in his ears putting his mind at ease. 

_Arriving in Boston. Next stop in about fifteen minutes._

The loud sound of the bus driver's voice over a speaker woke Sirius. He looked out the window to see the familiar city, the city he spent his early teenage years in. After admiring the city for a few more minutes he unlocked his phone, sending a text to Regulus telling him he'd be at the house in about half an hour. 

Regulus texted him back with a quick ok and that was the end of the conversation. Sirius listened to music for the next fifteen music and soon enough he was grabbing his suitcase and getting off the bus. 

Once he was off and off to the side of the sidewalk Sirius took his phone out once more and looked up the directions to his mother's house along with finding an Uber to take him there. 

After another fifteen minutes of riding in a vehicle, he arrived at the house. He sat in the car for a few more seconds than necessary, preparing himself for what was to come. He got out, grabbed his suitcase, then made his way up the small set of stairs to the door of the house. 

It was a townhouse and the perfect size for two people. The door was light brown with a door knocker in the center along with a frosted glass window in the middle. Sirius could practically felt the doorbell off to the side glaring at him. He stared at the doorbell for a few more seconds before taking a deep breath and pushing the small button. 

A quiet chime could be heard from inside the house which only made Sirius more anxious. A figure of a person could be seen walking towards the door through the frosted window however he couldn't tell who it was. Sirius felt his body tense as the sound of the doorknob turning hit his ears. 

When the door opened and Regulus was on the other side Sirius let out a deep breath and his body untensed. 

"Reg am I happy to see you!" Sirius said as a smile graced his face. Regulus looked at his older brother with a soft smile. 

"It's good to see you, Sirius. Don't worry yet, our mother is still at work. She should be home soon, however." 

Sirius nodded his head and the two boys stood in somewhat uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. 

"Would you like to come in?" Regulus asked to break the silence. Sirius let out a nervous chuckle and nodded his head. Regulus opened the door wider then Sirius walked inside. 

Sirius looked around the house. Almost everything was black to which Sirius was not surprised about. 

"Hasn't changed a bit," Sirius pointed out as he placed his backpack by his suitcase. 

"Mother says you'll be staying in the guest room while you're here." Regulus pointed down the hall where the guest room was. Sirius nodded and grabbed his things, bringing them to the small room. 

The guest room consisted of a queen-sized bed, a dresser, a small closet, and a bathroom connected off to the side. The bathroom had the basics; a shower, sink, and toilet, along with a few shelves holding towels and extra toilet paper rolls. 

Sirius set his backpack on top of the dresser and places his suitcase inside the closet, deciding he didn't want to unpack right then. He laid on the bed and groaned, covering his face with his hands. 

"Rough day?" Regulus joked as he leaned against the doorway to the room. Sirius looked out from his hands and laughed at his brother. 

"You have no idea."

They both laughed as the uncomfortable feeling that had set in earlier was now gone. Regulus made his way further into the room and sat next to Sirius on the bed. 

"Are you ready for tonight?" 

Sirius shook his head and scoffed at the thought of having to talk to his mother so soon. "Not in the slightest but I only have to see her tonight then she leaves tomorrow morning."

Regulus nodded his head. They sat in silence however it was a comfortable silence this time. 

The silence was broken by Regulus's phone going off. 

"It's James," Regulus said.

Sirius immediately sat up and smirked. "Can I answer it?" 

Regulus shook his head but handed Sirius his phone anyways. Sirius did a little dance in celebration before taking a deep breath to stop his laughter before picking up the phone. 

"Regulus don't forget I demand to see Sirius tomorrow," James said without waiting for a 'hello' from the other side.

"I'm flattered really James," Sirius said in the most monotone voice he could muster but eventually, his laughter broke through. 

"Sirius Black! You sneaky little fucker." Despite James' words, his tone of voice gave away that he wasn't upset. 

Sirius put the phone on speaker so Regulus wasn't lost. 

"James you can come around tomorrow after that wretched woman leaves tomorrow," Sirius said earning a lighthearted eye roll from Regulus. 

Regulus quickly chimed in, "Make sure you bring everyone around."

"Of course I will, Regulus."

"Regulus!" Walburga called as she opened the front door. 

"Gotta go, James," Regulus said quickly before hanging up without waiting for a response from the older boy.

After he stuffed his phone in his back pocket Regulus made his way towards the front room where his mother stood taking off her coat. 

"Is Sirius here yet? I thought you said he'd be here by the time I got home."

"I'm right here." Sirius made his presence known from across the room. 

Walburga didn't say anything for a few seconds. She did however make her way across the room to stand in front of Sirius. 

"Hello, mother.

"I'm not your mother," Walburga stated with a voice laced with venom. 

"Whether you like it or not I am your son-"

Sirius couldn't even get through a whole sentence before he felt a sharp pain on the side of his face. His head snapped to the side and stayed there for a few seconds as he registers what had happened. 

"Mother!" Regulus exclaimed as he walked over to his brother. 

Sirius took a deep breath and looked back at his mother. 

"Well...that was rude," Sirius said as he pressed a hand to the becoming red mark on his face. Regulus went to the kitchen and pulled out an ice pack from the freezer. He handed it to Sirius who accepted it gratefully. 

Walburga only watched him as he put the ice pack against his face. Sirius looked up at her and they held eye contact for a few seconds. Regulus looked between the two, waiting for one of them to say something. 

"You'd do yourself a favor by watching your mouth boy," Walburga remarked and pushed past the two boys towards the kitchen. 

Regulus watched her go before turning back to Sirius.

"Are you okay?" He asked his older brother who just nodded in response. 

"Charming as usual I see." Sirius pulled the ice pack away from his face for a little bit and pressed against the forming bruise and winced a little. "That'll leave a mark," He pointed out.

"Come on Sirius. Let's just figure out what she wants to say to you and then you can retire to your room for the night. I'll bring you some food so you can steer clear of her." 

Sirius nodded his head and Regulus led the way towards the kitchen. Regulus walked in first and then gestured for Sirius to sit on one of the bar stools at the counter. 

Once Sirius was sitting down Walburga starting talking. 

"Regulus is starting school soon, and he already has a means of transportation all you have to do is make sure he's up and has eaten before leaving. You also have to provide food for the both of you so I suggest you start looking for jobs." 

Sirius half-listened to his mother as she explained things he'd have to do. It wasn't until she started talking about legal requirements that he started listening. 

"I already have the papers you need to sign." Walburga reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of forms. "We just need to go over them and sign specific spaces by the end of the night. I'll get them where they need to go and then you'll have temporary legal guardianship of Regulus." 

Sirius looked at the stack of papers and dread filled him. That would take time to go over and he was sure that his mother and himself would get into plenty of arguments as time went on. Sirius turned to his little brother and mouthed 'you're lucky I love you' to him before turning back to the stack of papers in front of him.

Regulus's quiet laughter could be heard from the far corner of the room. Walburga looked up and immediately Regulus covered it up with a cough. 

"Let's get started shall we, Walburga?" Sirius said in a slightly condescending tone. Walburga scowled but nonetheless sat next to Sirius and started going through the papers.

By the last page, Sirius had his head resting in the palm of his hand with his elbow on the counter. His hair was disheveled and he was barely paying attention to the words leaving his mother's mouth. 

"Just sign here and we'll be done, Sirius." Walburga pointed to a line on the bottom of the page and handed Sirius a pen. He took the pen from her hands and quickly scribbled his signature down on the page. Sirius handed the pen back to her to which she took it and signed her own name on a line above his. 

"We're done now," Walburga said in a monotone voice. The woman got up and grabbed all the papers along with her purse then walked out of the kitchen and towards where Sirius assumed was her office. 

Regulus was still standing in the corner of the room observing Sirius. Sirius however was focusing on not passing out on the counter. The older boy got up and made his way out of the kitchen with Regulus behind him. 

When they were back inside the guest room Sirius flopped onto the bed and Regulus stayed in the doorway. 

"I appreciate what you're doing, Sirius." 

Sirius turned onto his side to face Regulus. 

"I'm happy to help Little brother. Plus I was already coming back to America for university anyways."

"Still, it means a lot to me." 

Sirius smiled at the younger boy who smiled back. 

"Get some rest Regulus. We have a big day tomorrow and you're going to need energy if you're going to put up with James and I," Sirius joked and turned onto his back. 

"You as well Sirius," Regulus said before closing the door and walking away. 

Sirius didn't even have the energy to get up to change out of his travel clothes before falling asleep. A restless sleep, anxiety going through the roof as he slept under the same roof as his mother once more. However, sleep nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is also on Wattpad I just posted it here in case Wattpad took it down. My username is the same its_camryn4.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in an alternate world. AKA no magic
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Walburga and Regulus have lived in America for three years. First moved from London due to Walburga's job. After three years Walburga is told to go back to London but Regulus doesn't want to leave and proposes Sirius comes to care for him in America. Walburga agrees and Sirius comes to America where he reunites with his old friends James, Peter, Lily, and Marlene. He also meets Regulus's new friend Remus Lupin who was a friend of James' after Sirius left. The two click almost immediately and form a bond like no other. 
> 
> ~~~  
> Notes:  
> Regulus is still in his last year of high school with Peter while the rest are in College. 
> 
> !TW!  
> Abuse, mentions of abuse, mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts  
> (I think that's all of them if I missed any please tell me so I can put them here)

"Sirius," Regulus whispered to now stirring boy. 

"Sirius you have to get up. Mother is leaving soon and it wouldn't leave a good impression if you're still asleep." 

Sirius made a noise of disapproval but started getting up anyways. He sat up and pushed a hand through his hair to make it look somewhat decent. Sirius pushed the covers off of his body and flung his legs over the side of the bed. 

"I'm up," Sirius said in an unenthusiastic voice but it was enough for Regulus who nodded and left the room. Sirius sighed and looked at his phone to see the time. 

_5:30 am_

"It's too early for this." Sirius groaned before getting up and grabbing a pair of clothes to change into later. He laid the clothes out on his bed then left the room. 

Sirius walked into the living room where he saw Regulus sat on the sofa reading a book. 

"Still reading those boring novels are you brother?" Sirius teased earning a playful glare from Regulus. 

"Perhaps it'd do you good to read more Sirius," Regulus joked back causing Sirius to chuckle. The older boy joined Regulus on the couch however instead of reading he pulled out his phone and looked through random things. 

They sat in silence as they waited for Walburga to come down and then leave for her flight. 

The said woman came down a few minutes later holding two suitcases and a carry-on bag. Regulus stood up and made his way over to her. 

"Allow me to help mother," Regulus said as he took one of the suitcases from her hands and brought it towards the front door. 

"Thank you, Regulus. I'm glad to see one of you is making yourself useful."

Sirius rolled his eyes at his mother's condescending tone. Despite his annoyance, he didn't bother responding to the woman.

There was a car honk outside and Walburga looked towards the front door. 

"That's my cab Regulus," Walburga said quickly and walked towards the door. She held it open as she said a quick goodbye to the younger boy. 

She made to leave and exit the door when Sirius spoke up. 

"You despise me so much I don't even get a goodbye?" 

Walburga paused for a second but didn't turn around or say goodbye. She only left and let the door slam behind her. Sirius stood looking at the door for a few more seconds after she left. He only stopped once he heard the cab drive away. 

"Sirius I-" 

"It's fine. I didn't expect her to say anything nice to me," Sirius said however Regulus didn't miss the sadness within his eyes or how his posture slumped slightly. 

Regulus didn't bring it back up however and simply locked the door again and walked over to the sofa. He picked his book back up and went back to reading. 

"I'm going back to sleep Reg," Sirius muttered and without waiting for a response went back to the guest room. 

Sirius laid back down under the covers but didn't go back asleep. He laid on his side with his arms under his head and the covers pulled up to his chin. 

His mind going a mile a minute. Running with thoughts of his mother's hatred for him.

"She hit me," Sirius whispered to himself, "She couldn't even say goodbye to me." 

Sirius closed his eyes and felt a tear slip down his cheek as he fell back to sleep.

~~~

"Remus Lupin tell me you do not have plans," James demanded as he walked into Remus's apartment. 

Remus looked up from his laptop at James. 

"You know you can just knock right? Also, it's like four in the afternoon what do you want." Remus remarked as he leaned back in his chair. James just shrugged and sat down on Remu's sofa. 

"Why do I need to not have plans today?" 

"Because we're going to Regulus's place today," James said as if it was obvious. 

"Well, I do have plans today."

James looked at Remus and sighed. 

"Oh come on Remus what do you have to do today?" 

Remus gestured to his computer and James looked at it. 

"Law programs are a little more complicated than English programs," Remus pointed out to which James nodded. 

"Well, are you going to be busy the whole day?" James asked and his tone changed from teasing to slightly upset. 

"No not the whole day. I'll be done around five so I can head over then okay?" 

"Deal!" James exclaimed and his joking tone was back quickly. 

"Do your nerdy stuff quickly and make your way over," James shouted as he left Remus's apartment.

Remus shook his head and got back to work on his computer.

~~~

"Sirius Black!" James shouted as soon as he walked into the Black's house. 

"James Potter!" Sirius shouted back and came out of the kitchen to see James standing in the entryway. 

It was only a matter of seconds before James ran up to Sirius and wrapped his arms around him. Sirius returned the hug both boys laughing. 

"I've missed you mate," Sirius sighed as they let each other go. 

"I've missed you as well."

"Well this is adorable," Regulus said as he watched the two reunite from the kitchen. 

"Shut it Reg." Sirius turned and stuck his tongue out at the seventeen-year-old who returned the gesture. 

Sirius ran back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast which consisted of two slices of buttered toast. James followed him and sat next to Regulus at the counter while Sirius stood in the middle of the kitchen frolicking around occasionally stopping to come over to the counter to eat a bite of toast. 

"Where is everyone else, James?" Regulus asked once he realized that it was only James who had arrived. 

"I told them to come and I assume they'll be here soon," James explained which got Sirius's attention. 

"I can not wait to see Lily and Peter," Sirius stated through a mouthful of toast.

Before Regulus could comment on his brother's manners the sound of the door opening was heard. Sirius quickly ran to the entryway again leaving James and Regulus to laugh at his eagerness. 

"Lilly! And Peter!" Sirius shouted as soon as he saw them.

"Sirius!" Both Lily and Peter shouted at the same time. 

Just as he did with James he instantly hugged them both. 

"Lilly I swear your hair gets redder every time I see you," Sirius teased. 

Lilly rolled her eyes and flicked the ends of Sirius's hair. "And yours gets longer every time I see you," She teased back. 

"Listen it takes time to grow this hair out lass." 

Lilly laughed and reached to ruffle his hair. When she did Sirius pouted to which she laughed and joined James and Regulus in the kitchen. 

"Peter, is secondary school treating you well?" 

"As well as it can," Peter smiled. 

Sirius laughed and threw his arm around the smaller boy. 

"Come on," Sirius said through laughter as he walked with Peter to the kitchen. 

Everyone had found a seat either at the table or at the counter now making conversation. 

"Okay, the first order of business. Regulus please tell me our awful mother has alcohol in this house," Sirius projected his voice as to be the dramatic person he was. 

"I don't believe she does, only wine if she does." Regulus gestured to the fridge where the wine bottle would be kept. 

"Well that's not any good," Sirius groaned put pulled the bottle out anyway. 

"I actually like wine so I don't know why you're upset you rich boy," Lily joked and got up to grab a wine glass. She poured herself a glass and started drinking it. 

Sirius mocked her words in a childish voice causing all of them to laugh. 

"Sirius Black you will be pleased to know I brought firewhiskey," Marlene said from the entrance to the kitchen. 

"Marlene! Yes, you are a live saver," Sirius exclaimed as he went over to the woman and planted a kiss on her cheek while also grabbing the bottle from her hands. 

"Marlene, when did you come in? We didn't hear you," Regulus asked at the sudden appearance of the girl. 

"Like just now. Probably didn't hear me over Sirius's whining." 

Sirius stuck his tongue out at the woman who rolled her eyes at his childish behavior. He opened the bottle and grabbed four small, wide glasses. 

"Peter please tell me you are going to drink with us," Sirius said and looked to the blonde. 

Peter opened his mouth to decline but decided against, "Ah what the hell sure." 

"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed dragging out the 's' and grabbing another glass. 

He grabbed another glass and started pouring the whiskey into each one. He handed one glass to James, one to Marlene, Regulus, Peter, and kept one for himself. 

"Now are we going to all just hang out in the kitchen or are we going to the living room?" James asked enthusiastically. Everyone quickly left the kitchen and headed towards the main room. 

Sirius took note of the piano in the corner of the room. "Regulus would you be ever so kind and play us something?" 

Regulus looked at his older brother with an incredulous look. "No, absolutely not." 

A chorus of 'please's and 'come on's were heard from the group. Regulus groaned but got up anyway and headed towards the Piano. Once he sat down at the bench all his friends made celebratory sounds and cheered him on. 

Regulus sat his glass on the top of the piano and placed his hands on the keys. He pressed a few of the keys, getting a feel for them once more. 

"What am I to play?" Regulus asked the group.

There were a few suggestions from Lily and Peter, the only ones who knew any piano music, however, none of them were ones he wanted to do. 

"How about a classic Reg. Play something by I don't know Beethoven," Sirius jokingly suggested. Regulus shrugged and placed his fingers on the proper keys and began to play. 

Once he started Sirius soon recognized it as Für Elise and chuckled quietly. Everyone sat in silence as Regulus played, admiring the music that flowed from his hands. 

After almost three minutes of playing, Regulus finished and everyone clapped. Sirius, being the dramatic person he is, shouted a couple of times. Regulus rolled his eyes at him but no one missed the light pink that dusted his cheeks from all the attention. 

"Brilliant, you should play more often Regulus," James said to the boy.

"W-well I do. Just mostly in private." Regulus refused to maintain eye contact with the older boy so instead, he picked up his glass and downed the remaining contents. 

Marlene was the one to start playing pop music off her phone that connected to the speaker sitting on the table. To no one's surprise, Sirius soon started dancing crazily. 

"Dance with me James," Sirius said as he held out a hand. James laughed and shook his head. Sirius pouted so he rolled his eyes and took the other boy's hand. Sirius smiled and the two boys danced with no intention of dancing well. 

Everyone was laughing and smiling. When Sirius and James quit their antics and James sat back down Sirius looked around at his friends, his family. They were his home and the thought made him smile endearingly. 

"You all good there Sirius?" Peter asked seeing as Sirius hadn't sat down and was just standing in the middle of the room. Sirius snapped out of his trance and looked to Peter giving the young boy a nod. 

Sirius reached for his glass that he sat on the table. He raised it in the air and everyone looked at him, ready for another joke or another crazy activity. 

"Raise your glasses, everyone. I propose a toast." 

"Oh god, what are you doing now Sirius," Regulus teased causing everyone to laugh lightly. 

"Hush Regulus. I propose a toast, to family." Everyone smiled at the gesture and Sirius continued. "To the people who never left and to the ones who actually give a shit." 

Despite everyone's laughter, they all raised their glasses and said "To family." Then took a drink from their glasses. 

It didn't take long for them to fall back into a playful environment. Sirius was still dancing around and everyone was talking about what had been happening recently. 

"Who needs refills?" Sirius asked as he picked his now empty glass. Everyone held out their glasses and so he picked them all up. While leaving the living room and everyone had said thank you's the doorbell was heard throughout the house. 

Sirius was in the kitchen now when he heard it.

"Reg can you get the door?!" Sirius asked loud enough for him to be able to hear in the other room. 

"Yeah!" Regulus responded and got off the sofa to go to the entryway. Regulus didn't bother looking through a window to see who it was. He opened the door and saw Remus awkwardly standing on the other side. 

"Remus?!" Regulus said surprised, "I didn't think you'd be able to come I thought you'd be busy with Ilvermory stuff." 

"I figured I could take a break. Plus James pretty much told me I had to take a break." Remus laughed and walked inside as Regulus moved aside to let him in. 

"Well, I'm happy you were able to come. The others are in the living room come on," Regulus spoke excitedly since he hasn't been able to see the older boy in a while due to him being busy with college things. 

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed when she saw the boy enter the living room. "I'm so happy you came. You deserved a break from working twenty-four seven." 

"So I've heard," Remus joked. 

Sirius came back to the living room with everyone's glasses, carefully holding them all in both hands as to not drop any of them. 

"Okay, I've got wine for Lily." Sirius gave Lily her wine glass. "And Fire whiskey for everyone else." 

"Who's that?" Remus whispered to James who was standing next to him. 

"That would be Regulus's brother," James explained to the confused boy next to him. 

"Reg has a brother?" 

James nodded his head and Remus watched as Sirius moved gracefully across the room passing out glasses. 

After all the glasses were passed out Sirius took a sip from his own glass. 

"Marlene I love this song! God, you choose the best music," Sirius remarked as one of his favorite rather slow songs came on. It was then he noticed Remus's presence. 

"Who's this?" Sirius asked, his tone becoming slightly sober as he looked upon the stranger in front of him. 

"He's a friend of Regulus," James explained to Sirius. 

Sirius looked from Remus to Regulus who shrugged his shoulders. 

"Tu ne m’as pas dit que quelqu’un d’autre venait (You didn't tell me a stranger was coming)," Sirius said however he spoke in French since none of the others would understand it. 

"Ma faute(my bad)," Regulus responded which seemed to be enough for Sirius because he let it go. 

"Would you care to enlight the group what is going on?" Peter asked as silence fell upon them. This caused the group to laugh and Sirius's attempt at an intimidating posture faltered. 

Sirius walked up to Remus who seemed confused and unsure as to what to say. 

"I didn't know Reg had a brother," Remus said in a nervous tone and a voice wavering ever so slightly. 

Sirius raised a brow at Regulus. "Tu l’as laissé t’appeler Reg aussi(You let him call you Reg too)?" 

Regulus rolled his eyes and ignored Sirius.

"Ne m’ignore pas C’est mon surnom pour toi(Don't ignore me, that's my nickname for you)," Sirius exclaimed at his younger brother who continued to ignore him. 

"It's not a big deal," Regulus told Sirius who dropped it and looked back to Remus. 

Remus was looking between Sirius and Regulus wondering if they would explain. They didn't. Marlene had paused the song by now and everyone was watching the event unfold before them. 

"Should I just go?" Remus whispered to Regulus as Sirius stared at him. 

"No, don't go." Remus was surprised when Sirius was the one who answered him. 

"I'm confused did I do something wrong?" Remus asked, this time directing the question towards Sirius. 

"No, you didn't. I just like to fuck with Regulus." Sirius's tone became much more lighthearted and Remus sighed in relief. Regulus sighed and pushed Sirius's shoulder making him stumble a little while pulling a laugh from both boys.

Everyone else in the room seemed to relax and Marlene was putting the music back on. They went back to talking and Regulus left Remus with Sirius as he left with James to sit on the sofa and talk about whatever. 

"I'm Remus, Remus Lupin," Remus said once the attention was off of them. 

"Sirius Black." Sirius stuck his hand out as to offer a handshake. When Remus took his hand to shake Sirius pulled him a little closer. 

"Would you care to dance, Remus Lupin?" 

"W-what?" Remus's voice wavered, taken back by the sudden offer and shift in mood. 

"You know how to dance don't you?" Sirius asked with a slightly teasing tone.

"Well yes but-"

"Then, would you care to dance?" Sirius offered once more.

"Um sure," Remus said however slightly unsure. 

Sirius didn't give him a chance to register what was happening as he sat his glass down and pulled the taller boy to the middle of the room. Sirius held one of Remu's hands and placed the other around Remus's shoulder. 

"You can hold my hips, I won't complain," Sirius spoke flirtatiously and Remus became flustered but nonetheless placed his hand, which wasn't holding Sirius's, on the shorter boy's hips. 

They slowly moved to the music, Sirius following Remus's lead as they moved. It wasn't graceful or smooth but lighthearted and playful. Sirius smiled and laughed loudly as they almost stumbled over the coffee table. 

Around the end of the song, Remus held his arm up and spun and Sirius followed his lead. The shorter boy turned away from the other but was pulled back and as the song ended and on the last beat Sirius was chest to chest with Remus. 

They both stood still for a few seconds and slightly out of breath. 

"You're a good dancer," was all Sirius said before pulling away from the taller boy, grabbing his glass of firewhiskey, and sitting on a cushion on the floor next to Lily. 

Remus stood in the middle of the room for a few more seconds before going to sit next to James. 

James leaned over to Remus and whispered into his ear, "He's quite the character isn't he?" 

Remus only nodded his head and went back to listening to the other's conversation while chiming in every once in a while, occasionally stealing a glance at Sirius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used a translator for the french so I apologize if it's not an exact translation.


	4. Chapter 4

"So Regulus what do you want to do for your birthday?" 

Regulus looked at James, who had asked the question, then around to the rest of them. 

"Um, nothing?" Regulus replied getting multiple sounds of disagreement. 

"Oh come on Reg. You're turning eighteen. It's an important part of a person's life," Sirius pointed out dramatically. "Even better you'll be an adult so you can do whatever you damn well please without mother being overbearing." 

"Sirius I still have to finished secondary school before then," Regulus remarked. 

"There really isn't anything you wouldn't want to do?" Peter asked to which Regulus just nodded. 

"Okay, then I will take it upon myself to plan what we're doing for we're doing." 

"Oh god please don't Sirius," Regulus begged but to no avail. 

"Nope it's decided," Sirius said. 

Regulus threw his head back and groaned causing James to laugh. 

"What are you laughing at, Potter?" Regulus asked sassily. James put his hands up in defense without responding. 

After Regulus had playfully hit James's shoulder and Sirius quit teasing him about turning eighteen the group went back to just talking. 

"Remus Lupin?" Sirius asked loudly to get his attention. Remus's head snapped to Sirius's direction and his head tilted slightly in confusion. 

"Why do you say my whole name?" Remus asked to which Sirius shrugged and continued. 

"Not important. I do have a question though."

"Shoot," Remus offered. 

"You look like the type of person who would go to university for something important-"

"I'll try not to be offended," Remus interrupted. 

Sirius ignored the interruption, "So tell me are you going to university?" 

Remus was slightly taken back. Not sure what he was expecting but asking about his education was not it. "I am going to university, I've been in college for three years going on four in the fall." 

"What do you study?"

"I majored in psychology and minored in political science," Remus explained. 

Sirius squinted his eyes and smirked a little. "I'm willing to bet you are studying law this year," Sirius remarked. 

Remus's shocked face was enough to confirm Sirius's suspicion. 

"How did you figure that out?" James asked Sirius. Sirius took a second to register the question came from James, momentarily had forgotten that there were still others in the room. 

"No one willingly majors and minors in those without having a greater purpose for those," Sirius explained without breaking eye contact with Remus. 

"Yea I am studying law. I'm attending Ilvermory as well," Remus responded. It was Sirius's turn to be surprised. 

"I guess everyone is going to Ilvermory now," Lily said to no one in particular. 

"What do you mean?" Regulus asked the girl. Lily proceeded to explain how most of them were going to Ilvermory. Herself and James as English Majors, Remus beginning his three years of law school, and now Sirius. 

Remus looked from Lily to Sirius, "You're going to Ilvermory?" 

"As an art major," Sirius responded. 

"You draw?" Remus asked him to which Sirius nodded. 

"And paint, sometimes the occasional photograph."

"You cover every point don't you," Remus said. Sirius smirked and titled his head a little. 

By the time they all decided to call it a night it was early morning. Peter and Marlene had left at a decent time after drinking enough water to be able to drive home. 

Lily, James, and Remus had remained. Remus had tried to leave earlier however James roped him into staying longer. 

Sirius had taken everyone's empty glasses to the kitchen and put them in the sink to wash later. When he came out and saw Remus near the front door he went up to him. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Home?" Remus said in a questioning tone. 

"It's like two am."

"Thus the reason I'm going home?"

"No, you've been drinking you shouldn't drive."

"Then what would you have me do?" Remus asked the shorter boy. 

"Just stay the night. Lily and James are. The couch pulls out into a sofa and so does one of the chairs." Remus could tell by the tone of Sirius's voice that no wasn't an answer so he slowly took his jacket back off and followed Sirius back to the living room. 

When they got there Regulus had already pulled out the sofa for Lily and James. Lily and James had laid down however there was a wall of pillows and cushion in between them. Sirius silently laughed at the thought of Lily telling James to keep his hands to himself before making the wall of cushions. 

Sirius went over to one of the chairs and pulled off the cushion then pulling on the bar to transform it into a bed. Remus stood awkwardly and watched as Sirius worked. When Sirius finished fixing it up he went to a nearby linen closet to pull out two blankets and a few pillows. He placed them on the bed for Remus and backed away. 

"There you go," Sirius spoke quietly as to not wake Lily or James. Remus nodded and set his phone and wallet down on a nearby table before pulling off his shoes, placing them by the chair. 

As Sirius was walking away Remus called his name out. Sirius turned back to face him, eyebrows raised in question. 

"Thanks," Remus said simply and quietly.

"No problem." Sirius smiled then walked to his temporary room. 

When Sirius opened the door to his room and saw Regulus sitting on his bed he jumped while letting out a surprised noise. 

"Reg warn someone next time geez." Sirius went over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants to change into once Regulus left. 

"Sorry, not really." 

Sirius shot him a halfhearted glare. "What did you come in here for?" 

"What do you think of Remus?" Regulus asked, trying not to seem suspicious. 

Sirius raised his eyebrow at his brother. 

"He seems like a nice lad...why?" 

"You mean to tell me you did all that because you thought he was a "nice lad"?" Regulus asked incredulously. 

"What are you on about?" Sirius asked, obviously playing dumb.

Regulus just scoffed and rolled his eyes. The younger boy stood up and headed for the door. As he was leaving he spoke, "Fine don't tell me, Sirius. I'm not an idiot though." 

Sirius smiled at his brother's words and watched as he left the room. He grabbed his sweatpants and went to the bathroom. Sirius quickly changed out of his day clothes into his sweatpants then threw his hair up in a messy bun with a nearby hair tie. He tucked himself under the duvet and closed his eyes. 

_Crying._

_That's what Sirius could hear. He didn't know who was crying though._

_"Sirius, why are you crying?"_

_Sirius turned and saw his little brother standing at the doorway to his room. Sirius tilted his head in confusion and turned back away from Regulus to see what was in front of him. He was in a bathroom, there was a first aid kit on the counter._

_Sirius looked up at the mirror to see himself. He was crying. A blue and purplish bruise had formed on his cheek._

_"I'm okay Reg, don't worry."_

_"Regulus Black! What did I tell you? Leave your brother alone right now." Sirius heard his mother shout at his little brother while dragging the smaller boy by his arm away from the bathroom._

_Walburga came back to the entrance of the bathroom once Regulus was away. "Stop crying boy. Before I give you something to cry about. Now clean up this mess and go to your room. Don't expect to be getting anything to eat tonight."_

_When Sirius didn't respond a sharp slap sounded through the bathroom and Sirius bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying anymore._

_"I understand mother," Sirius said slowly and waited for Walburga to walked away before letting his tears fall. He applied some healing ointment to the bruises on his face to help them heal better before putting everything back in the first-aid kit and putting the kit back under the sink._

_As Sirius walked up the stairs to his room he heard his mother's voice from the living room._

_"He's worthless."_

Sirius woke up panting slightly and feeling cold sweat go down his back. When he realized what had happened he placed a hand on his forehead, wiping the sweat away. 

"Stupid fucking nightmares," Sirius whispered to himself. 

He flung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. Sirius rummaged through the nightstand searching for the all too familiar small rectangular box and the lighter right next to it. 

The lighter was a gift from James and it was a normal lighter only with a silhouette of a dog on the one side. 

Sirius went to the bay window on the other side of the room. He sat down and cracked the window open. Without hesitation, he grabbed one of the cigarettes from the box, lit it, then brought it to his lips. Sirius breathed deeply and felt his body relax, forgetting about the nightmare for a little while. 

He looked out the window and at the night sky as it became dawn. Sirius's eyes found his own reflection in the window. 

"Worthless."

~~~

"Gameplan for today Regulus," Sirius started and his brother looked up from the breakfast he was eating. Everyone had gone home before Sirius came out of his room. Once he did leave his room Sirius went straight to the kitchen and cleaned up the dishes from the previous night. He also made breakfast for himself and Regulus. 

"I'm going out to find a job today and it'll probably take all day since I'm looking for two jobs," Sirius continued while Regulus listened intently. "Send me a list of things you need as far as groceries cause I'm going to pick some stuff up before coming back. I'll be out all day like I said so if you need anything call me or James."

"Why two jobs?" Regulus asked once Sirius finished. 

"I have to provide for you and myself, Reg. Don't worry I can handle it," Sirius tried to reassure him.

"Sirius I know you can handle it but I have a job too. You don't need to have two." Sirius sighed and went over to his brother, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. 

"Don't worry about it Reg."

That was the last of that conversation before Sirius was leaving the kitchen to get changed in relatively business casual clothes. It consisted of a simple white button-down, his favorite leather jacket, and black skinny jeans. He also grabbed a hair tie to put his hair up in a neat bun at the back of his head. 

After he got ready, he grabbed his wallet and phone then exited his room. Going to the entryway and putting on his shoes. 

"I'm leaving!" Sirius called to Regulus who shouted out a quick 'okay.' Sirius left the house and got the bus just in time. 

Sirius had left a few hours ago and like he asked Regulus sent him a list of groceries that they needed. Now he sat on the sofa with a book in his hands. He barely even started the chapter before James had barged into the house. 

When James came into the living room and saw Regulus reading he took the book from the younger boy's hands. 

"One chapter, that's all I want. To get through one chapter without interruption. Is that too much to ask for?" 

James ignored Regulus's protests and set the book on the table nearby then sat down next to him. He put his legs over Regulus's lap. 

"Really James?" Regulus asked as he looked at the older boy who was now leaning with his hands behind his head. 

"What I was bored?" 

"And no one else was available?" 

"You make it sound like you don't want to spend time with me," James said faking a pout. Regulus rolled his eyes before pushing James's legs off of his lap. James huffed but didn't move them back. 

"Will you play Piano for me?" James asked enthusiastically. Regulus gave him his best 'hell no' look causing James to pout again. 

"Please!" James whined dragging the word out. 

"I'm not even that good," Regulus said sadly causing James to sit up and get so much closer to him. 

"Regulus Black you take that back," James demanded. Regulus's eyes widened at how much closer James had gotten and forced himself not to blush. Instead, Regulus looked away from James's firm gaze which James did not appreciate. 

Jame's placed two fingers under Regulus's chin and turned his head. "Take it back," James demanded again. 

"Fine I take it back," Regulus huffed but James smiled. Content that he got his way, James leaned back once more and Regulus let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. 

"Now can you please play something for me?" 

Regulus gave James a look but got up anyway and sat at the Piano bench. He thought for a second about what to play before putting his fingers on the correct keys and started playing. 

James, not knowing anything about pianos, didn't know what he was playing but listened intently anyway. 

Regulus seemed to lose himself when playing the percussion instrument so much so that when James came and sat next to him he got shocked and played the wrong key. Regulus cringed at the sound and pulled his hands away. 

"Sorry," Regulus muttered putting his hands in his lap and staring intently at them. 

"Why are you apologizing?" James asked in a low voice.

"I messed up," Regulus explained. James's brow furrowed and squinted his eyes before relaxing as to not want to worry Regulus. 

"Regulus, can you look at me?" 

Hesitantly Regulus raised his head to look at James. When he did, he didn't regret it seeing as James's face was now covered with a bright smile. 

"You played beautifully. I'm not your parents and I won't get mad at you for making a mistake." James's voice was still barely above a whisper as if someone else would hear them. Regulus nodded his head at James's words but still looked back at his hands. 

James sighed and for the second time, that day made Regulus look at him by turning his head with his fingers under the younger boy's chin. 

Regulus suddenly became very aware of how close they had become. James's breath fanned his face and his own flushed becoming red. 

"James," Regulus said slightly breathless. 

James quickly moved away from Regulus and back to where he was previously sitting on a sofa. Regulus frowned when he did and his brow furrowed. The younger boy tried not feel disappointed when he stayed away. 

"Another song?" 

"What?" Regulus broke out of his somewhat trance to look at James. 

"Can you play me another song?" James asked again after chuckling lightly. 

"Um sure, yea." Regulus turned back towards the piano and started playing somewhat distracted by what had just happened. 

~~~

Sirius walked down the sidewalks of Boston looking down at his phone, not where he was going. A part of him knew he shouldn't walk with his head down because he would run into someone especially since it was dark out but he was too busy reading over the list that Regulus had sent him to care. 

Despite his knowledge of the chances of running into someone that didn't stop the surprise when he did. 

He ran straight into someone and didn't have time to react before he was on the ground. 

"Ah fuck," Sirius exclaimed as he rubbed his forehead. 

"Shit I'm sorry." The person who he ran into trailed off. When Sirius looked up he realized why. 

"Hey, Remus." Sirius was running his hands across the ground to find his phone. When he did find it he stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. 

Remus quickly put a hand out to help Sirius up who grabbed the taller's hand gratefully. 

"Thanks." 

"It's the least I can do. I wasn't looking where I was going sorry," Remus apologized making Sirius laugh. Remus tilted his head in confusion. 

"I was looking down at my phone. I should've not done that." 

"Are you serious?" Remus asked not realizing what he had said until he had said it. 

"Yes, I am Sirius." 

Remus rolled his eyes and pushed the other's shoulder. 

"Why are you out so late?" Remus asked once he realized the time. 

"Job hunting. What about you?" 

"Coming home from my job, actually. Did you have any luck? With the job hunting, I mean," Remus asked as Sirius brushed some dirt from his jacket. 

"Yea I got a job at the library nearby and some small convenience store," Sirius explained and pointed in the general direction of the two places. 

Remus smiled a little at hearing that causing Sirius to tilt his head slightly. 

"I go to the library at least twice a week," Remus explained to which Sirius smirked. 

"Guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other then. And here I was trying to find an excuse to spend time with you." Remus became flustered at the flirtatious undertones of Sirius's words. 

"You need an excuse for that?" Remus eventually responded making Sirius's smirk even bigger. 

"I guess not." 

They stood in front of each other for a few seconds, neither of them saying anything. 

"Isn't your house back that way?" Remus asked pointing past Sirius. 

"Yes, it is. I needed to go grocery shopping. Reg sent me a list earlier. I was going there before back to the house," Sirius explained and turned his phone to Remus as he spoke. 

Remus skimmed over the list for a second or two. 

"How are you going to get those home? That's a lot of bags," Remus pointed out to which Sirius shrugged. 

"Come on." Remus pulled his keys out of his pocket. When he noticed Sirius's confused expression he explained. "I'll give you a ride there and back to your house." 

"What happened to not needing an excuse?" Sirius asked causing a light blush to grace Remus's face. Sirius followed the tallboy anyway. 

The whole ride, which was relatively short, Sirius talked and moved his hands as Remus just drove silently, observing. 

When they got there Remus got out first and opened Sirius's door. 

"What a gentleman," Sirius teased causing Remus to chuckle and roll his eyes. 

"Oh shut it." 

They both laughed and headed inside. Sirius picked up a basket as they entered and Remus followed him. 

The only time they really talked was for casual conversation here and there. Other than that it was silent between the two of them. 

Sirius was looking at his phone for most of the time trying to get everything Regulus asked for. At one point he was trying to find a specific type of bread for his little brother and when he did he rolled his eyes. 

He reached up to try and grab it but couldn't. 

"Do you need help?" Remus teased and grabbed the item for Sirius. 

"Haha. It's not my fault you're a giant." Sirius continued on. 

"I'm not a giant you're just small," Remus continued to tease him earning a playful glare from the smaller boy. 

"Who knew Remus Lupin was so rude." Sirius joked and pulled a laugh from said boy. 

"Only when I want to be," Remus played along. 

It went back to relative silence, now and again Remus helped grab something that Sirius couldn't reach. Each time Sirius pouted or glared at the taller boy. 

"I have a question." Remus said getting Sirius's attention. 

"Ask away," Sirius said as he continued to pull things from shelves. 

"When did you learn to speak French?" 

Sirius froze as he went to grab something. He cleared his throat and collected himself. 

"When I still lived with my mot...with Walburga she had high expectations for her children. God forbid someone strayed from the path she planned," Sirius whispered the last part to himself however Remus still caught it. 

"I was highly encouraged, as she would like to put it, to learn French and so was Regulus. So we learned. Mistakes were not acceptable so we learned quickly and efficiently." Remus listened intently as Sirius spoke about his past. "Now I speak French very little. Only when I don't want someone to know what I'm saying." 

"What did you say to Regulus? When I came around yesterday." 

"That he didn't tell me a stranger was coming and that only I call him Reg. I was just messing with him of course but seeing you worried was definitely funny," Sirius turned slightly to look at Remus who was rolling his eyes. 

It went on for about an hour. Sirius answering any questions Remus had and vice versa. By the time they were checking out and carrying the bags to Remus's car, Sirius was thankful Remus offered to drive him. 

When Remus was driving Sirius was back to being really talkative. 

"Sirius," Remus said randomly when Sirius had stopped speaking to catch his breath. 

"Remus?" Sirius asked, curious as to what the boy wanted. 

"Can you say something in French?" 

Sirius laughed and looked from the window to Remus. 

"Why do you care that I know french?" 

"It's always interested me but I never had the time or the money to take french classes." 

Sirius nodded his head and thought of what to say. 

"Tu es plutôt mignon(You're cute)," Sirius spoke fluently and the words rolled off his tongue. Remus let his eyes dart from the road to Sirius for a split second. 

"What's that mean?" Remus asked with a smile on his face. 

"That wasn't part of the question," Sirius responded sassily. 

"Aw come on that's not fair." By now Remus had parked next to the Black's house and they were both getting out of the car. 

"I don't care if it's not fair," Sirius responded as he picked up a few of the bags. Remus picked up the rest and shut the trunk of his car. 

"Sirius just tell me what you said, please," Remus begged as Sirius unlocked the door and they walked in. 

They heard laughter coming from the living room. Sirius called out for Regulus who came into the entryway slightly shocked when he saw Remus as well. 

"What were you two doing?" Regulus asked, suspicious clear in his voice. Sirius shot him a look. 

"Remus offered to help me bring groceries home." Sirius gestured to the bags in their hands. "Now he's pouting because I won't tell him what I said in French." 

Regulus came over to take the bags from Remus's hands who protested briefly saying he could handle it however Regulus won in the end and brought the bags to the kitchen. Sirius followed and placed the bags in his hands on the counter. The two brothers quickly got to work on putting the food away while James and Remus sat at the counter. 

"So what did you say to him?" Regulus asked as he placed a box on a shelf next to Sirius. The older brother repeated the phrase causing Regulus to look at him with wide eyes and a knowing smirk. 

"Regulus will you tell me what he said?" Remus asked once he noticed that Sirius had repeated the phrase. 

Regulus shook his head causing Remus to frown. 

"Are you ever going to tell me what you said?" Remus asked Sirius. The other shrugged and continued to put the groceries away. James laughed at their antics making Sirius aware once more of his presence. 

"So Regulus, what were you and James doing while I was out?" Sirius asked smirking slightly at the blush that came to Regulus's face. James also looked away from Sirius while a light pink dusted his cheeks. 

"Piano," Regulus said all too quickly causing Sirius to give him a look but the older boy didn't say anything. A somewhat awkward silence fell upon the boys after that. It was, however, quickly broken by Remus clearing his throat and standing up. 

Sirius shot him a confused look to which Remus held up his keys and said, "I should. be getting home. I'll talk to you later." 

Sirius nodded and then Remus was gone out the front door. James also took that as his que to leave. 

"I should get going, bye guys." 

"Bye," Regulus said before James had left the kitchen. James waved once more then he was gone as well. Once both Remus and James had left Sirius turned to Regulus with a suspicious look. 

"What?" Regulus asked, obviously playing dumb. Sirius continued to look at him but Regulus was just as stubborn and refused to say anything. 

"Are you serious?" Sirius asked and once he did couldn't help but laugh at the unintended pun. Regulus also let out a chuckle. Despite the laughter, Sirius was still curious. 

"What was going on with you and Remus?" Regulus shot back sassily. Sirius opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out for a few seconds. 

"Nothing is going on between Remus and I." 

Regulus shot back an unbelieving look. "Oh come on you don't just call him cute, in french might I add, to his face and not have anything going on." 

"You don't just play him piano and not have anything going on." 

"I guess we both have our secrets then brother."


	5. Chapter 5

After a few days, Regulus and Sirius fell into a routine. Sirius would get up first most days and make breakfast for both of them then Regulus would wake up a little while after. Once Regulus was up Sirius would get ready for work and then be off. An hour after Sirius left for work Regulus would get ready and leave for his own job as well.

Once Sirius came home he'd make dinner unless he was bringing home takeout. They'd eat with each other and talk about their day and either go to bed or spend time watching television.

Every so often they, usually Regulus, would receive a call from Walburga asking if Sirius was taking care of him. Every time Sirius would roll his eyes when Walburga exaggerated being shocked.

Soon enough almost two weeks had gone by and Regulus's birthday was soon.

The day started like any other normal day for them, Sirius made breakfast, Regulus came and ate with him, Sirius got ready for work then left.

"I'll see you later Reg!" Sirius called as he opened the door and left. He got on the bus as usual and got off at the stop that was closest to the small convenience store. As usual, he put on his small name tag and got behind the counter.

The benefit of working at a no-name convenience store was there weren't many people that came in so for the most part Sirius was just sitting and scrolling through his phone.

After his shift was over at three Sirius took his name tag off and walked down the sidewalk towards the library. It was only a five-minute walk so soon enough Sirius was clocking in and putting on a different name tag.

He checked the book return bin and picked up the stack of books. He walked around the library putting the books away. Sirius went down the aisle of books that were about law and was trying to find the right place for one of the books in his hands.

"L65, L66, finally L67," Sirius whispered as he placed the book on the shelf.

"I hate to ruin your hard work of finding the right space by taking that book."

Sirius turned to see Remus standing to his right holding a few books in hand. Remus reached behind Sirius and grabbed the book off the shelf.

"Who would I be to stop a reader?" Sirius said sarcastically referencing the motto that was everywhere in the library. Remus laughed and the two continued on down the aisle.

"So I guess I shouldn't be surprised a law student needs books on law studies. However, the question is why are you reading in the summer? Classes don't start until late August." Sirius continued to place a few books on the shelves nearby and Remus continued to pick up a few more books until he had four in his arms.

"I want to get a head start," Remus responded.

"I guess that makes sense. Art doesn't really require studying so I wouldn't really know," Sirius told the tallboy. They both laughed quietly as to not disturb anyone else in the library.

They exited the aisle and went towards the front counter. Sirius set the books he had to return on the counter before picking up the barcode scanner and taking the books from Remus's hands.

"So many books," Sirius remarked quietly causing Remus to chuckle. Once Sirius scanned all the books they parted ways. Sirius disappeared down the many aisles of books while Remus went to one of the many bean bags in the corner of the library to start reading.

Once Sirius finished returning the books to their rightful places on the shelves he went back to the counter. Sirius sighed and looked around the quiet building. There were only a few people either sat at a table, what Sirius assumed was, studying and a few people reading. Remus was one of the people reading and that gave Sirius an idea.

He looked around the counter space and found a pencil and a piece of printer paper.

"Not the best drawing paper but it'll do," Sirius muttered as he picked up the pencil. He looked up at Remus and down at the paper a few times before starting the drawing.

Three hours. That's how long it had been since Sirius had started drawing. He was currently finishing the final details on the drawing.

"Sirius?"

As soon as Sirius heard his name come from Remus he flipped the paper.

"Yes?" Sirius asked after clearing his throat.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Sirius said as nonchalant as he could. Remus clearly didn't buy it so Sirius groaned and flipped the paper back over. Remus stared at the drawing of himself for a few minutes and Sirius started getting concerned.

"This is amazing," Remus said astounded. Sirius felt his cheeks heat up ever so slightly but smiled.

"Thank you," Sirius said sincerely and Remus nodded going to hand the piece of paper back to Sirius.

"Oh no, you can keep it," Sirius said quickly and pushed Remus's hand back.

"Are you sure?"

"Yea," Sirius reassured so Remus carefully put the drawing in his bag. Sirius smiled at the boy who returned it. They both just looked at each other for a few minutes and for a moment Sirius forgot that Remus had originally come over.

"Was there something you needed?" Sirius asked once he snapped himself out of gazing at Remus. Remus shook his head for a second and nodded his head. He pulled out one of the books he had just checked out a few hours ago.

"I was returning this one, I finished it a little while ago."

"Already?" Sirius asked in disbelief as he grabbed the book from Remus. His hand gently brushing Remus's and he stopped himself from blushing anymore.

"What can I say I'm a fast reader," Remus responded as Sirius scanned the barcode and placed it in the return bin.

"I wish I could read as fast as you then. Was there anything else?" Sirius asked as he looked back at Remus.

"No that was all." Remus tapped the counter once before turning away and walking back to where he was previously sitting. Sirius nodded once and sat back down on the uncomfortable chair behind the counter.

Sirius barely sat down before Remus was in front of him again.

"Actually I was wondering if after you were done working if you'd want to come and grab coffee with me maybe?" Remus asked and anxiously tapped his foot as he spoke. Sirius smiled at the boy in front of him and nodded. That seemed to visibly relax Remus so he stopped tapping his foot.

"I finish here in about an hour, we can go then if you'd like," Sirius offered with a smile.

"That'd be perfect," Remus said with an excited look.

"Okay then."

Remus nodded then walked back to his seat once more and actually going back this time. The whole time he walked there Remus was sporting a bright smile.

Sirius let his smile take over his face and for the next hour, it stayed there.

Time couldn't move fast enough and Sirius's excitement was bubbling over. When his shift was finally over and he finished helping the person in front of him he practically ran towards the back room and clocked out.

He threw on his leather jacket, pulled off his name tag, then exited the back room. When he exited the back room he walked over to where Remus sat. Remus noticed his presence almost immediately and looked up.

Remus quickly shut his book and put them in his bag.

"Ready?" Remus asked and Sirius eagerly nodded. They made their way out of the library and once again Sirius found himself in Remus's car. It was a short car ride to the nearest cafe but the car ride was filled with Sirius talking and making gestures while Remus listened.

Soon enough Remus was opening the door for Sirius and they walked for a minute or two to the coffee shop.

"I'm paying for my own drink by the way Remus," Sirius mentioned when they were in line.

"What? No. I'm the one who invited you out," Remus protested but Sirius shook his head. They went back and forth a few times but in the end, Sirius was more stubborn and therefore he got his way. There were a few people in front of them so it took about five minutes until they ordered.

Remus had ordered a simple black coffee while Sirius listed off a complicated order and the only part Remus caught was green tea. Once their drinks were paid for they went and sat down at a small table near a window.

"Tell me about yourself, Sirius. Please," Remus requested once they had sat down and got situated.

"Like what? You know almost everything about me. I moved around a lot when I was a kid because of Walburga's job, I love to draw, my friends and family are the most important thing to me, and yea I don't really know what else to talk about." Sirius laughed as he reached the end of his story. The whole time Remus listened closely while occasionally drinking from his cup.

"You really can't think of anything else?"

"Unless you want to hear about my childhood trauma then I don't really think anything is that interesting," Sirius said causing silence to fall upon them. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make it awkward."

"Don't worry about it. I just...I'll listen if you need me to." Remus smiled and so Sirius smiled.

"Thank you, Remus."

Remus nodded so Sirius quickly shifted the attention off of himself. "What about you?"

Upon seeing Remus's confused expression Sirius elaborated. "What is there to know about you, I mean?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"Well, then how'd you meet Reg?" Sirius prompted so Remus dipped his coffee and told the story. "He took a class at the college I was attending. It was the same class and yea one thing led to another. Soon enough we found out that we had a mutual friend, James."

"Reg has always had a way with people." Sirius smiled making Remus chuckle a little.

"You really can't think of anything else?" Sirius asked again causing Remus to shrug his shoulders.

"I doubt that Remus. You interest me."

Remus felt a blush rise to his cheeks but tried to ignore it. "Would you like to go for a walk?" Remus asked attempting to shift the attention off of himself.

"Sure, I need to properly explore the city once more." Sirius and Remus both got up and headed towards the door. Remus held it open for the both of them and a couple of other people walking in.

They walked in silence down the sidewalk towards no specific destination.

"What did you mean when you said properly explore the city? I thought you lived here," Remus asked and there was hesitancy in his voice. Sirius tensed a little and straightened his posture.

"I do...I did live here. Six years ago."

"Why'd you leave?"

"I didn't really have a choice."

Remus and Sirius had reached a park nearby and sat on a bench. Sirius waited for a little while before continuing.

"When I was fifteen, I came out to Walburga. It was messy, to say the least."

"I'm sorry," Remus spoke sympathetically to which Sirius responded by trying to brush it off.

"It's not your fault. It's also in the past," Sirius said in his best nonchalant tone to play it off as if he didn't care. Remus, however, saw through the wall as if it was made of glass. "It's not okay Sirius. There is no excuse to not accept your kids."

"A part of me knew she wouldn't accept it. One can only hope though. Suffice to say she didn't approve and when I was sixteen she kicked me out, disowned me, the whole nine yards."

Remus reached out to Sirius and gently grabbed his hand. Sirius flinched slightly when Remus reached out causing the taller boy to retract his hand. Sirius frowned and grabbed his hand back.

"I didn't mean to flinch, I'm sorry."

Remus shook his head and looked Sirius in the eye. "Don't apologize for that. You can't help it."

Sirius nodded but still felt a little guilty for flinching. Remus knew this and pulled them both up from the bench.

"Where are we going?" Sirius question but he was shushed by Remus. Sirius mocked an offended expression but nonetheless, let Remus drag him along.

They reached a part of the park that was relatively secluded. Remus pulled them down to sit on the grass. When they sat down they put their cups on the grass before laying down on the grass.

"What's your plan here Lupin?" Sirius asked with a laugh as Remus said nothing throughout the whole ordeal.

"Stargazing. They've always fascinated me, so have moon phases," Remus explained finally. Sirius looked towards him when a thought popped into his mind.

"Moony," Sirius stated. Remus turned to him confused. "What?" Remus asked.

"Moony, that's what your nickname will be."

Remus laughed and shook his head then looked back towards the sky. Sirius followed his gaze and looked up. His eyes looked over the sky and over each constellation.

"Remus! Look," Sirius said suddenly startling Remus. Remus looked to where the smaller boy was pointing and tried to see what star he was pointing at.

"Which one?" Remus asked after many failed attempts to pinpoint which one Sirius was pointing at.

"It's the Sirius star," Sirius laughed and Remus joined in on the laughter. "Also known as the dog star," Sirius explained. Remus turned his head to look at Sirius who was looking over the stars. The way the moonlight reflected off his skin and illuminated his face.

"If I'm Moony then you're Padfoot, because of the dog star."

"I love it," Sirius whispered to him. Remus smiled and it was then he realized that their hands were still interlocked from earlier. The thought made him blush but he didn't pull his hand away.

Sirius continued to point out different constellations and different stars. Eventually, Remus stopped following along with where Sirius was pointing and decided to just look at Sirius. The look of excitement as he pointed to each one and described what they meant.

"Beautiful," Remus whispered as he looked at Sirius. Sirius turned to look at Remus to see what he was talking about and the heat that rose to his face when he realized Remus was looking at him.

They just laid in the grass looking into each other's eyes. The amber of Remus's eyes catching Sirius in a trance.

"What are you doing to me?" Remus whispered as he used his thumb to stroke the back of Sirius's hand.

"I could ask you the same question."

They didn't say anything after that, just sat in silence and admired the other. Sounds of late-night critters were heard and their breathing was heard but neither of them made a sound.

When Sirius's phone rang they both jumped and were startled out of their trance. Sirius groaned and sat up to answer his phone. Looking at the contact and seeing Regulus's name made him pick up a little faster.

"Regulus Black I swear if you do not have a good reason for calling me right now I'll be thoroughly pissed." There was no malice behind Sirius's words obviously but he paid no mind to it. Sirius heard Remus chuckle from behind him and turned to give him a smile before focusing back on Regulus.

"Where the actual fuck are you? I thought you got off work two hours ago," Regulus said in a somewhat panicked voice. Sirius realized his mistake and should've texted Regulus sooner to let him know he'd be out late.

"Two hours ago? Really?" Sirius mumbled. Even Remus was a little shocked at the amount of time that had passed. "Yea I was just with...I was just out. I'll be home soon with some takeout okay?"

After confirming the plan and what kind of food Regulus wanted they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Sirius turned to Regulus with an apologetic look on his face. "I hate that I have to go. I didn't tell Regulus I'd be out after work and he was concerned. I have to go pick up some Chinese from Reg's favorite takeout place as an apology," Sirius explained with a sad expression.

"I can drive you if you want," Remus offered.

"You really don't have to," Sirius reassured but to no avail. Remus shook his head and guided them away from the clearing.

"Come on, don't be so polite." Sirius followed Remus out of the clearing and across the park where they found a trash can to throw their cups away before getting his car.

Once seated inside Sirius gave Remus the name of the restaurant to go to and directed him there with his phone.

It wasn't a long drive, only ten minutes, and it was silent the whole way there. Neither boys knowing what to say to fill the silence. When they go there Remus parked and they went inside.

Sirius ordered for himself and Regulus before turning to Remus. "Do you want anything?"

"No I'm okay, thank you though."

Sirius gave Remus a look before ordering something for him, Remus scoffed and laughed. Once Sirius finished ordering and paying they went and sat while waiting.

"You didn't need to do that," Remus said once they sat down.

"Yea but I wanted to." Sirius smiled at Remus and reached across the table to grab his hand. Remus met him halfway to grab his hand.

They sat like that for the entire time they waited. It wasn't a long time but it was long enough.

"78!"

Sirius heard the number of the order called so he, reluctantly, released Remus's hand to go get the food. It was in a medium-sized paper bag with two handles at the top that Sirius didn't trust so he grabbed it at the bottom.

When Remus saw him with the bag he got up from the table and they walked out together.

Remus drove Sirius to his house and helped him carry the bag inside. Despite Sirius's protest Remus grabbed the bag of food and brought it inside.

When they entered the house Remus went straight to the kitchen to set the bag down.

"Do you want to stay?" Sirius asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"I do but I can't. I have to finish an application before this weekend and I want to get it done before Reg's birthday."

Sirius nodded his head in understanding and went to the bag to grab the food he got for Remus. The taller boy laughed and accepted the small box.

"Don't forget to eat," Sirius told him once Remus took the box.

"What makes you think I won't eat?"

"Just a guess but you're the kind of person the work so much you forget to take care of yourself," Sirius teased and Remus stuttered a few times.

"That's what I thought. Now go do smart people stuff and don't forget to eat," Sirius told him and saw him out.

Sirius made sure the door was shut and locked once Remus left then headed towards the stairs.

"Regulus! Food is here," Sirius called up to his brother who came down the stairs a few seconds later.

Regulus went straight to the kitchen to pull out his food from the bag and started to eat. Sirius laughed at his eagerness but followed him.

They went to the living room to watch tv while eating.

"So what were you and Remus doing? I thought you were just out." Regulus questioned once they got situated on the couch.

"I was just out," Sirius said which wasn't a lie but not the whole truth. Regulus saw through what Sirius was doing and gave him a knowing look.

"You were just out but you were out with Remus," Regulus clarified. "Just tell me that you like him and get it over with."

"We barely know each other Reg," Sirius pointed out.

"Doesn't mean you don't fancy him," Regulus shot back to which Sirius didn't respond.

"Whatever eat your Chinese," Sirius mumbled and Regulus smirked.

They sat in silence as a movie played in the background. Neither really paying attention but it was good background noise.

Once Sirius was done with his food he brought his trash to the kitchen and threw it out.

"I'm going to bed Reg, don't stay up too late," Sirius said before going to his room and shutting the door.

Sirius grabbed a pair of sweatpants before going to the attached bathroom. He went to the shower and turned the handle to the left, got enough to not burn his skin but still soothing.

He let the water heat up as he dressed down and entered the shower. Letting the hot water run down his back and feel his muscles relax.

Sirius spent a few minutes just standing under the water but after he quickly washed his hair and body then rinsed the soap away. He turned the water off and dried off his body with a towel before putting on his sweatpants and going to the sink.

He looked at himself in the mirror for a little before drying and brushing out his hair, brushing his teeth, and washing his face. Afterward, he exited the bathroom and went to the bedside table to find his cigarettes and lighter.

When he didn't find it in the drawer he went to his leather jacket pocket and sighed in relief when he felt them there. He went to the window and sat on the edge before cracking it open. He lit the cigarette and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps I do fancy him," Sirius whispered to himself.

~~~

Regulus sat on the couch surfing through the channels on the tv before deciding on watching a Disney movie.

He leaned back and relaxed a little bit. His relaxation was short-lived of course when his phone started ringing.

Regulus sighed and picked it up without looking at the contact.

"James I swear if you're calling me this late to ask to hang out I'm going to-"

"Regulus Black," Walburga exclaimed when she heard her son say such things.

"Sorry, mum I thought it was James calling me. I didn't look at the contact. What do you need?" Regulus asked trying to get the call over and done with.

"Is Sirius taking care of you?"

Regulus sighed when he heard the ever so familiar question be asked through the phone.

"Mother please have some faith in Sirius. You ask every week and every week you get the same response every week. Yes Sirius is taking care of me, he works every day, and he comes home to feed me at night."

"I just want to make sure Sirius is taking care of you Regulus."

"And I'm telling you that he is!" Regulus responded his voice raising a little bit. He took a deep breath to recollect himself. "Mother I will call you if for some reason Sirius is unable to care for me. Please have some faith in him, he's your son."

Regulus could hear the intake of breath from Walburga and the heavy exhale as well.

"Fine, but you call me if something goes wrong. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

With that Walburga hung up the phone and Regulus put his back on the table. After a few seconds of contemplation Regulus decided to just go to sleep and get the day over with.

He picked up his phone and made his way up the stairs. Regulus opened his door and shit it once he was in. He leaned against it for a few minutes before changing out of his day clothes and climbing into bed.

"Long day," he said to himself before shutting his eyes and letting sleep envelop him.


	6. Chapter 6

A week and a half had gone by and Sirius hadn't run into Remus again. He stayed busy with work, picking up extra shifts then coming home to cook dinner, and once he was done going straight to sleep. 

It was exhausting and he missed hanging out with his friends along with spending time with his brother. 

Regulus's birthday was on that and Sirius was planning that out as well. 

Sirius rolled out of bed and got dressed, just another day. It was Saturday so Sirius was distracted by his plan and not focused on anything else. 

He got up and made breakfast then ate before leaving for work. 

When Sirius was at work in both places he got out his notepad and started writing down his plans. When he got to the library and did the daily chore of putting books away he sat down and got to work. 

He listed a bunch of Regulus's favorite movies along with his favorite snacks, drinks, and candies. Sirius thought about what to do about where to watch them then thought of a solution. 

His old stuff was in the attic and that includes a projector. Sirius quickly jotted down the thoughts he had and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Relieved that he knew the plan and had it down. 

Now all he needed was help. 

Sirius pulled out his phone and mass texted Lilly, James, Remus, Peter, and Marlene to come over later. Regulus would be at work so it would still be a surprise. 

Sirius waited anxiously for his shift to end and when it finally did a couple of hours later he practically ran out the doors of the library. 

When he got home James, Peter, Marlene, and Lily were in the living room just chatting. Lily sitting as far from James as possible however Sirius paid no attention.

"Okay guys I need your help," Sirius said breathlessly as he ran into the room. They all halted their conversation to look at Sirius. 

"With what?" Lily asked slightly concerned about what he would say. Sirius went over his plan for Regulus's birthday and it eased her mind along with getting them both excited to help. 

After he finished explaining and asked everyone to go do certain things Remus walked in the door. Sirius snapped his head towards the door to see him. 

"Hey," Sirius said softly when he saw Remus. The taller boy was wearing jeans, an oversized jumper, boots, and it made Sirius's heart flutter. 

"Hey, is everything okay?" 

"Yea I just need help with setting up Regulus's birthday stuff." 

"Okay, what can I do." 

"We have to go to the store and I'll buy a bunch of Regulus's favorite food and drinks," Sirius explained and without hesitation, Remus nodded his head then pulled out his keys. 

"Come on then, we haven't got all day." 

Sirius thanked him and followed him out of the house.

"You know when you said you'd plan Regulus's birthday events I figured you'd do something loud and dramatic," Remus said while they were in the store and Sirius was filling a basket with things. 

Sirius pulled a bag of chips off the shelf and put them in the basket. "Regulus has bad anxiety from our parents so he hates being in loud environments. I wanted to make a quiet night in for him with all of our friends." 

"That's really caring of you," Remus remarked as he picked something up that Sirius had pointed to. 

"Don't sound so surprised Moony." 

Remus smiled at the nickname or the memory associated with the nickname. 

"I'm not surprised I just admire that. I think under all your 'punk rock' exterior you're just really sweet on the inside Padfoot." 

Sirius looked at Remus and faked a worried look. "Shh you can't tell anyone, I'll be ruined," Sirius spoke dramatically causing Remus to laugh out loud. A few other people looked at them but looked away just as quickly. 

They walked around a few more aisles picking up things they needed and soon they were ready to check out. Sirius paid for the items and then they carried the bags out of the store. 

Remus drove them back to the house and Sirius went to the back yard where he saw the rest of their friends trying to hang up a white sheet across two trees. 

"What exactly is your plan?" Remus asked once he saw them. 

"I'll explain while we get started. We have to make a pillow and blanket for the across these trees with this stuff." Sirius gestured to the many blankets and pillows along with some things to help set it up. "Come on Moony." 

They got started and the whole time Sirius explained what they were doing while setting up the fort. Once the white sheet was hung up the others came to help build the fort. 

It took about two hours but they managed to get it up and keep it tall enough that they'd be able to see the projection. 

Sirius set up the projector and got out his laptop. He connected the two devices with a cord. They tested it with the beginning of a movie to make sure it works and once it did they celebrated with a group hug. 

"Thank you all for your help," Sirius said once they were completely finished. There was a chorus of "no problem" and "happy to help" from the group. 

Sirius heard the door open and knew it was Regulus coming home. "Okay everyone stays out here I'll go get Regulus." Everyone nodded and got inside the blanket fort while Sirius went inside to get Regulus. 

"Dear Brother," Sirius said in a singsong voice as he walked up to Regulus. 

"What have you done?" 

"Whatever do you mean my dear brother," Sirius continued with the charade and Regulus eyed him suspiciously. 

"I mean you never do this unless you've done something. Oh no. Please tell me you haven't done anything for my birthday." 

"I can't," Sirius said in a high-pitched voice. "Cause I did." 

"Sirius, what have you done?"Regulus groaned as he threw his name tag on the counter along with his hat. 

"You'll find out soon. Right now though go get changed into comfortable clothes."

Regulus eyed Sirius suspiciously but went up the stairs to go get changed. Sirius waited anxiously for Regulus to come back down. 

When he did he was wearing a relatively bagging hoodie, that Sirius recognized as James's but didn't say anything, and sweatpants. 

"What next?" Regulus asked once he came back down. 

"Next you close your eyes and let me guide you outside to the backyard," Sirius said as he walked over to Regulus who sighed and shut his eyes. Sirius grabbed his shoulders to guide him around objects and furniture. When they were outside Sirius guided him down some steps before standing in front of him. 

"Okay open your eyes," Sirius said once everyone else had come forward. 

When Regulus opened his eyes he was shocked. 

"You did this for me?" Regulus asked as he looked back at Sirius. 

"It was a team effort but yea we did this for you. I know you don't like loud and crazy environments so I thought a quiet night with close friends was a good idea." 

Regulus felt tears prick his eyes and he surged forward to wrap his arms around Sirius. Sirius was a little taken back from the unexpected hug but wrapped his arms around the younger boy. 

"Thank you, Sirius," Regulus whispered into Sirius's chest. 

"Of course Reg." 

"I want in on this," James exclaimed before joining the hug, and soon everyone else did. 

Sirius opened his eye to see Remus standing away from the group so he untangled his arm from the hug and grabbed Remus's jumper. He pulled the older boy forward so he fell into the hug. 

After a few more seconds, Sirius broke apart from the group. 

"Okay, I have your favorite snacks, drinks, and candy. Along with your favorite movies that we will all be watching tonight." Sirius walked towards the projector and held up a selection of movies. "Which one do you want to start with?" 

Regulus picked a random one so Sirius put the disc into his computer and pressed play. The projector projected the movie onto the white sheet and everyone piled into the blanket fort. 

The snacks were scattered along the edges of the fort and everyone grabbed something to eat. Regulus got to pick first obliviously, it was his birthday after all. Once they were all situated they focused on the movie. 

About halfway through the movie, Sirius grabbed a cigarette from the box in his pocket. He lit it and brought it to his lips as he laid back. His back was on the ground now and he looked up at the movie screen, not the best angle but it was comfortable. 

"Sirius you know that's horrible for your health right?" 

Sirius looked at Lily and exhaled the smoke from his lungs into the air above them. 

"Lily you've told me that since I was a teenager and nothing's changed," Sirius pointed out as he brought it back to his lips. 

"I guess you and Remus have something in common then." 

At Lily's words, Sirius turned to Remus who was somewhat focused on the movie. 

"You smoke?" 

Sirius's question got Remus's attention. He turned to the other and looked at him confused. 

"Excuse me?" Remus asked Sirius once he turned away from the screen. 

"I asked if you smoke?" 

"Uh, yea I do. A bad habit that I don't plan to break," Remus responded. Sirius nodded and held out his own cigarette to him. Remus laughed but took the item from Sirius's hands and brought it to his own lips. 

Remus exhaled the smoke and handed it back to Sirius. They went back to focusing on the movie and occasionally eating some of the snacks nearby. 

Three movies later they decided to go inside and start to call it a night. Sirius decided to clean up the next day so they left the blankets outside. 

James sat down on the couch and Regulus laid across the couch with his legs on James's lap. James rested his hands on Regulus's legs providing a sense of familiarity among them. 

They only spent an hour or so talking amongst each other before Lily mentioned they should all get some rest. The first to leave was Lily, then peter, then Marlene. 

Remus mentioned he should be going so Sirius offered to see him out. Sirius stood and walked Remus to the door where he put his keys in his pocket before turning to Sirius. 

"Did you have fun?" Sirius asked him quietly as if he was afraid of someone hearing. 

"Tonight was fun, I was happy to be apart of it." 

Sirius smiled at Remus's answer and Remus smiled back. They stood like that for what seemed like hours but in reality, was only a minute or two. 

"I should probably go," Remus whispered to him and Sirius nodded. 

"I'll see you later then." 

It was Remus's turn to nod before heading out the door. Sirius stood by the door a few seconds after Remus had left before going back to the living room. 

"Regulus, happy birthday mate. I'm going to sleep," Sirius said and went over to Regulus to ruffle his hair. Regulus made a disapproving noise when Sirius messed up his hair. 

"Night Sirius, tonight was fun. Thank you," Regulus said and Sirius left the room. 

Regulus turned to James who still sat on the couch. 

"It's just you and I now," Regulus stated a few seconds later. 

James nodded. "It seems that way yes." 

"What do you plan to do now that you're eighteen?" James asked and adjusted how he sat to face Regulus. 

"Well there is one thing but I've never been brave enough to do it so." Regulus sat up causing his legs to fall from James's lap. 

Regulus was facing away from James now causing James to pout a little. 

"Are you okay?" James asked the younger boy who didn't respond. "Regulus, talk to me." 

"I- it's nothing," Regulus said quickly. 

"Reg-"

Regulus cut James off by getting up and walking away. James sighed but followed him up to his room. 

"Regulus just tell me, please." 

"Forget it James you wouldn't reciprocate anyway," Regulus said without realizing. He slapped a hand over his mouth and turned away from James. 

"Regulus are you saying that..." James trailed off and Regulus shook his head. 

"I don't know what you mean James," Regulus said, blatantly lying. James touched Regulus's shoulder to turn him towards him. 

"Reg, it's okay," James reassured but only got a shaking head in response. 

"No it's never been okay, my mother would hate." 

James realized then the situation that Regulus was in and the thoughts that went through his head. 

"Regulus, there is nothing wrong with you. You like boys so what, you can't help that." 

Regulus understood what James was saying but then you can't undo years of abuse and trauma with one sentence. 

"Regulus, maybe you should talk to Sirius. He knows about this stuff he can help you," James suggested. 

"No I don't need help I can fix this!" Regulus shouted at James making the older boy take a step back out of shock. 

"Hey what's happening?" Sirius asked slightly out of breath from the doorway. 

James realized he must've heard the shouting and got concerned. 

"Reg is struggling with some sexu-"

Regulus clamped a hand over James's mouth before he could finish the sentence. Sirius eyed him suspiciously. 

"James, could you give us a second?" James nodded and left the room going back downstairs. 

Regulus sighed and sat on his bed. It seemed to have happened suddenly when tears rolled down the newly eighteen-year-old face. 

"I don't know what wrong with me," Regulus sobbed out. 

Sirius quickly sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Regulus there is nothing wrong with you. Why would you think that?" 

Regulus didn't respond so Sirius pressed on. 

"Do you like James?" 

The younger's breath hitched and fresh tears fell. Sirius knew he was right and brought Regulus into a hug. 

"There is nothing wrong with liking James," Sirius reassured. 

"It's not that it's just...I can't be kicked out." 

Sirius realized what was happening and took a deep breath. 

"You won't get kicked out for being gay or bi or however you identify Regulus," Sirius told him and rubbed his back reassuringly. 

"How would you know? You did!" Regulus shouted causing Sirius to pause for a few seconds. Bad memories filling his mind but he pushed them back down. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. That's not fair to you," Regulus said soon after. 

"It's okay you're stressed." 

"I just don't know what to do," Regulus cried and Sirius wanted to just take his pain away. He wanted to take the suffering and the abusive memories away but he couldn't. 

"You don't have to come out to Walburga as I did. I just did it in the heat of the moment cause I was upset. But if you do and she kicks you out then I'll find a place to live then we'll live together," Sirius told him. "I won't let you go through what I did. So if she does kick you out then that's what we'll do."

Regulus looked up from his lap and looked towards his brother. "Are you serious?"

"Aren't I always," Sirius laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Regulus laughed lightly and hugged Sirius once more, burying his head into Sirius's shoulder. 

"Reg, you can't let our parent's abuse keep you from being happy or keep you from accepting who you are." 

Regulus nodded along as Sirius spoke. 

"So if you like James and he likes you then go be with James. But you have to accept yourself for who you are. I promise that I will not let our awful mother make you live in the streets." 

When tears fell from Regulus's eyes this time they were joyful. 

"Thank you" he whispered. 

"I'll always be here for you Reg," Sirius spoke reassuringly. "I think you should rest and do some self-discovery work for a few days okay? I'll tell James to head home and explain some stuff okay. You can tell him the rest if and when you are ready." 

Regulus nodded and with one last quick hug Sirius left the room. 

The younger one laid down on his bed in silence. He didn't move, didn't cry, just laid there. 

Feelings going through his mind a battle between the eighteen years of shouting and Sirius's words the spoke the truth. 

Exhaustion overtook him and he closed his eyes. Regulus fell into a restless sleep filled with anxious thoughts. 

Sirius had come downstairs and when James saw him from the living room he rushed towards his friend. 

"Is he okay? Did I do something? How can I help?" James asked multiple questions really fast. 

"Woah Woah chill out." Sirius held his hands up and slightly pushed James back towards the living room. 

They both sat on the sofa and Sirius turned to James. 

"Regulus will be okay but you can't undo years of homophobic comments and threats in one night." 

James nodded along then looked up at Sirius. "Does he...?" James trailed off but Sirius knew what he was asking. 

"Do you like him?" 

"Fuck of course I do," James told him to which Sirius nodded. 

"Give him a day or two, then come talk to him okay?" 

James nodded so Sirius stood up with him. 

"Go home James, get some sleep." 

With a hug, James left the house and Sirius went back to his room. 

Sirius knew he would be able to fall asleep so he changed back into jeans and a T-shirt with his leather jacket. He grabbed his lighter and box of cigarettes than his keys before walking out of the house. 

He walked for an unmeasured amount of time to no particular destination but he found himself at the park. 

Sirius shrugged as went to the bench to sit and smoke. He did just that while listening to midnight critters and the occasional flick of his lighter as he absentmindedly lit and unlit it. 

Thoughts in his mind were too much to process alone so he decided not to. However, that didn't stop memories from going through his head. 

_"Pack up and leave"_

_"You are the disappointment of the Black family."_

_"Your father would be horrified"_

Sirius had to physically shake his head in order to not get lost in his thoughts. 

"Hey." 

Sirius jumped at the voice but turned to see Lily standing by the bench. 

"Hey," Sirius responded quietly. It was obvious by the expression on his face and the tone of his voice that he was upset. 

Lily sat down next to Sirius and looked straight ahead. 

"What happened?" 

So Sirius poured out his thoughts and feelings to her. Everything that had happened over the last two hours came out and Lily listened intently. 

It took a while for Sirius to get through everything but Lily listened patiently and let him go at his own pace. 

When he finally finished it was silent as Lily processed what he said. 

"I think...I think you helped Regulus a lot tonight. And you're right, none of your parent's abuse will be undone in one night. It took you a few years to accept yourself." 

"Well I was mostly alone in London," Sirius commented. 

"Regulus has family around him to help. He'll realize soon don't worry," Lily continued. Sirius nodded his head in appreciation of the comfort. 

"Thank you, Lily," Sirius said after a while to which she nodded and pulled him into a hug. 

"Now are you okay?" Lily asked. 

"Not really, bad memories just all at once. Reminded me of what happened all those years ago." 

"Well, you know all of us are here for you," Lily told him to which he nodded. 

That was the end of the conversation and they just sat together enjoying the presence of the other. 

It wasn't until many moments later that Sirius realized what time it was. 

"Why are you out here it's like midnight?" Sirius questioned and Lily looked at him for a second. 

"I woke up and decided to go for a walk."

Sirius gave her an unbelieving look so she sighed and pulled out her phone. 

"My sister texted me from Europe today. It's been on my mind all day and I haven't responded to her," Lily explained truthfully. 

Sirius's face contorted with confusion. Knowing of Lily's relationship with her sister was enough to know that a text from Petunia was unusual. 

"What did she want?" Sirius asked Lily who was currently pulling up the text message. 

It was a picture of her holding a baby. 

"Is that her kid?" Sirius asked, his confusion increasing drastically. 

Lily only nodded. She turned her phone off and put it back in her pocket. 

"I don't know what to do. I can't tell if she is trying to one-up me because I don't have kids or trying to mend our relationship by sharing her life." 

Sirius followed along and listened. 

"Well, she isn't the only one I guess," Lily muttered to herself. 

"What are you talking about? She isn't the only one who what?" Sirius pressed. 

Lily said nothing only placed a hand across her stomach. Sirius followed her movement and was confused when she did. 

"I don't under-"

Sirius cut himself off with his own gasp. 

"Are you?"

Lily nodded her head and tears pricked her eyes. 

"What are you going to do? Who's the father?" Sirius felt his mind going a mile a minute. Lily shushed him after he asked more questions. 

"I'm going to keep it that's what I'm doing. I'm doing school in person until I start showing then I have permission to do my classes virtually," Lily explained. "The father is...the father is James." 

Lily held her breath as she waited for Sirius to respond. 

"Wait but I thought James liked Reg?" Sirius tilted his head and he narrowed his eyes. 

"He does, but it was an accident. This I mean. We were really drunk and we were hanging out. It was an accident and I already feel horrible about it," Lily answered quickly. 

"Does James know?" Sirius asked her and she shook her head. 

That's when the tears that had been in her eyes streamed down her face. Sirius quickly pulled her into a hug. 

"Sirius I don't know what to do. James will hate me when he finds out and obviously he's going to find out eventually. I can only delay the inevitable." 

Sirius, being completely inexperienced when it comes to pregnancy, did his best to comfort her. 

"Lily he won't hate you. This is James we're talking about here he can't hate anyone."

Lily let out a broken laugh as she cried into Sirius's shoulder. 

"Sirius you can't tell anyone, I need to be the one who tells James." 

"Yea, of course, it's not my place to tell anyone. Just know that I'm here for you at all times. I don't know a lot about pregnancy but if you need anything text me and I'll go to the store or whatever you need," Sirius told her with a smile. Lily smiled at him and pulled her head away from his shoulder. 

"Thank you, Sirius."

"Of course, now go home and get some rest." 

Lily laughed and stood up. "I'm only like a week along Sirius I can still function on my own."

"Shhh Lily, go home and rest. If you do that then I will also get some sleep." 

"Hmm fine but promise you'll go home and sleep."

Sirius held out his pinky as if they were kids again. Lily laughed but interlocked their pinky fingers together. 

With that, they parted ways and Sirius went straight home. 

It was clear that Regulus was asleep from the silence that was in the house. Sirius went straight to his room and changed out of his clothes. 

Staying true to his promise he went straight to bed.

Lily unlocked the door to her apartment and immediately entered the small space she called home. She turned and locked the door before taking off her jacket and throwing it on the sofa nearby. Lily made her way towards her room where she grabbed some sweatpants and a t-shirt.

She went to the small bathroom and turned on the shower. While the water was warming up she dressed down and stepped out of her clothes. Lily caught sight of herself in the mirror and while there was no baby bump showing she still placed her hands on her stomach. 

Her eyes also caught sight of the multiple positive pregnancy tests from multiple different brands on the counter. She covered her mouth with her hand as her body wracked with a silent sob. 

Lily took a deep breath to collect herself and looked away from the mirror and countertop. She stepped into the now steaming shower and let the hot water relax her tense muscles. 

While she felt the water run down her body she took another deep breath then lifted her head. 

"We'll be okay," Lily whispered to herself mostly but also to the fetus growing inside her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of my friends have helped me with some of the scenes when I had trouble so big thank you to them.


	7. Chapter 7

Many weeks later Sirius and Lily sat in the waiting room of a doctor's office waiting for Lily's name to be called to the back. 

Lily was anxiously bouncing her leg as they waited so Sirius reached out with his hand and placed his hand on her knee. She looked up at him and smiled while reaching her own hand down to grab his. 

"Thank you for coming," Lily whispered to him.

"I told you that if you needed anything I'd be here. This falls under the anything category," Sirius responded in the same quiet voice as to not disturb other patients or staff members. 

"It still means a lot to me." 

Sirius gave her a reassuring smile before the door to the actual rooms. Lily's head snapped up at the sound and looked towards the nurse who held a clipboard. 

"Lily Evans?!" The nurse exclaimed and with a relieved sigh Lily stood up quickly with Sirius right on her trail. 

They walked up to the nurse who gave them a smile. 

"How are you guys today?" The nurse asked them to which Lily responded with a quick and simple 'fine'.

They followed the nurse down a hallway and multiple turns before reaching a room with an open door. She walked into the room so Lily and Sirius followed. 

Sirius sat on the chair next to the bed while Lily hoisted herself on top of the bed. 

Lily anxiously fiddled with her hands so Sirius once again reached out but this time grabbed her hand first. Lily squeezed his hand back in a silent 'thank you' as the nurse typed away on the computer. 

It was a few minutes before the nurse turned away from the computer to look at them. 

"So how far along are you do you know?" She asked and Lily thought for a few moments.

"Um, somewhere around six to eight weeks. I don't know exactly." 

The nurse nodded and typed on the computer once more. 

"Anything else going on? Nausea, excessive bleeding, anything?" 

"Some nausea and some cramps but other than that nothing else has been going on," Lily explained and the nurse nodded along as she typed.

"That's completely normal in early stages of pregnancy. Your body is just adjusting to the changes that are happening don't worry. The doctor will be in soon and we'll do your first ultrasound," The nurse explained before standing up and walking out of the room. 

Sirius and Lily didn't say anything but she kept her death grip on Sirius's hand while they waited. 

It was long before the doctor came in and sat in the same chair the nurse did.

"Hi I'm Doctor Pompfrey, I heard about some cramps and nausua before coming in. Are you handling that okay?" She introduced herself and asked Lily about her discomfort. Lily spent a few minutes describing some of her discomfort and what she was doing to help. She mentioned not wanting to take medication until told what she should take due to not knowing what certain medicines would do. 

The whole time Doctor Pompfrey nodded along and typed on a computer. Once Lily finished explaining the doctor turned to her and talked about prescribing some pain medication Sirius had never heard of. 

Once she was done discussing medication for pain and discomfort she got up and went towards a linen closet to pull out a few towels before leaving the room for a little bit.

"How are you feeling?" 

"Anxious, really anxious," Lily said quickly and chuckled at herself causing Sirius to chuckle with her.

"That's understandable, Lily. Is there anything I can do?" Sirius asked worriedly, wanting to help his friend. 

"You're doing a lot for me just by being here Sirius so thank you."

Doctor Pompfrey knocked on the door before coming into the room. 

She went through the procedure and what she would do while helping Lily get comfortable laying down. Lily lifted her shirt so Doctor Pompfrey could put the cold gel on her stomach. 

Lily jumped at the feeling of the gel on her skin but let the doctor continue. Once her stomach was covered in cool gel Pompfrey got out the transducer. She placed it on Lily's stomach and started moving it around. 

As she moved the tool around trying to get a clear image of the developing fetus she made conversation with the two of them. 

"So are you two together? Boyfriend girlfriend or married?" 

At the question Sirius laughed out loud earning a smack on the shoulder from Lily. 

"No we aren't together. He's like my best friend and really gay." 

"Oh my, I apologize for assuming," Pompfrey apologized but Lily told her not to worry. Sirius continued to snicker at the question every so often and everytime he did Lily gave him a stern glare that made him stop. 

A few minutes later Doctor Pompfrey found a clear image and showed Lily. 

Lily started to cry and Sirius gave her a hug. Pompfry printed out the ultrasound for Lily to keep after wiping away the excess gel on her stomach. 

She handed the ultrasounds to Lily who accepted them quickly and placed them in her bag. Sirius smiled at her. 

The appointment ended a little while later and after discussing where to pick up the medicine they left the doctor's office. 

They walked towards the pharmacy so Lily could pick up her medicine and upon seeing the price tag she sighed. "Thank god for health insurance," she whispered to no one in particular. 

Sirius walked around the pharmacy for a little while trying to find a few items that Lily had asked for. He wasn't expecting to run into a very familiar tall boy he knew. 

Sirius walked up next to him and pretended to look at the selection of chocolate before speaking. "So what reason do you have for looking for chocolate?" 

Remus jumped slightly at Sirius's voice and looked towards the shorter boy. "Uh, chocolate is pretty much my favorite thing ever," Remus explained as he picked up a chocolate bar. 

"What's your reason?" 

"I was getting some for Lily." Sirius kept it vague in order to keep his promise of telling no one about Lily's current situation. 

"That's nice of you," Remus said and stepped away from the shelf. 

Sirius picked out a few different types of chocolate for Lily before heading towards the cashier with Remus behind him. 

"So why haven't I seen you in so many weeks? I mean I didn't see you around, not even at the library the week after Reg's birthday," Sirius said as he pulled out his debit card to pay for the chocolate. 

"I was uh busy with college stuff as usual. But I finished finally and should be good to go for classes."

"You finished the requirements like two weeks before school starts? Crazy," Sirius said as he moved out of the way so Remus could pay for his own chocolate. 

Remus shrugged and finished paying for his chocolate. They stood by the entrance for a while just talking to each other while Sirius waited for Lily to be done with the pharmacist. 

"So Sirius, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Sirius teased causing Remus to halfheartedly roll his eyes. "What's your question?" 

"Um...so would you...I was wondering if you'd..." Remus couldn't quite find the words he was looking for causing Sirius to laugh and look Remus in his amber eyes. 

"Hey relax just take a deep breath and find the words," Sirius soothed and Remus nodded his head with a deep breath. 

"Would you like to go out...with me? Like on a date?" Remus asked nervously while smiling. Sirius's face instantly broke into a smile. 

"Yes, god I was wondering when you were going to ask," Sirius exclaimed somewhat loudly causing some people to look at them but Sirius didn't care about it at the moment. 

Remus's smile got impossibly wider at that. 

"I'm off on Friday this week," Sirius suggested and Remus nodded. 

"So what do you say I pick you up around five? We could get some food and just hang out," Remus offered and Sirius nodded eagerly. 

"It's a date," Sirius confirmed. 

"What are you two smiling about?" Lily asked as she came up to them with a small bag contain a bottle of pills. 

"Uh don't worry about it. Come on Lily. I'll see you Friday." Sirius directed the last part to Remus leaving Lily confused and somewhat excited to hear the explanation. 

"Sirius Orion Black are you going on a date with Remus?!" Lily whisper yelled at the boy who only nod in response making Lily shout a random sound. 

Sirius shushed her and they kept walking. The whole time back to Lily's apartment they talked about Sirius's planned date on Friday. 

When they made it back Sirius made sure Lily was a hundred percent okay before giving her a hug and planting a kiss on her head then leaving the apartment. 

Once he left the apartment building Sirius felt a lovesick smile grace his face. 

~~~

"James, what are you doing here?" Regulus asked tiredly as he opened the front door. 

James remained on the porch and looked up in relief as Regulus actually answered the door this time. 

For the past month and a half, Regulus had avoided being alone with James causing a decline in both of their mental health's. Regulus was still trying to figure himself out and feared that spending time with James would make it ten times more difficult. 

But even he couldn't deny that he missed the hyper and funny boy being around almost twenty-four seven. 

"Regulus you have been avoiding me for long enough. Please talk to me. I miss seeing you," James said genuinely and Regulus could hear the slight waver in his voice. 

"James I've been trying to figure some shit out you know this." 

"Then let me help you please," James was unashamedly begging Regulus at this point. 

"James I-"

"I won't even touch you. I'll remain six feet away if that's what you want just please talk to me." 

Regulus looked at the boy in front of him, really looked at him. His eyes were sunken and the bags under his eyes were clearly visible. His hair was a mess and Regulus fought the urge to brush it into place. 

"Okay, okay fine." 

Regulus stepped away from the door leaving it open as he walked further inside the house. James did a small celebration as he walked inside the house making sure to shut the door once he was inside. 

Regulus went up to his room and sat on the floor where a few of his books were. James joined him a few minutes later and sat far away from the younger boy. 

The younger laughed at James actually sitting six feet away so he got up and sat next to James who looked at him shocked but happy that he moved closer. 

"I'm sorry. I've been blatantly avoiding you. It's just that when Sirius told me to discover myself and all that I knew that he was right. But I also knew that I wouldn't be able to be in a relationship if I didn't even know who I was," Regulus explained. 

"So I avoided you and for that, I apologize but I've actually made some good progress."

"Like what?" James asked trying to focus on the positives and let Regulus know he had someone to talk to. 

"I know that I'm bisexual and I know that there isn't anything wrong with that," Regulus looked at James as he finished speaking only to see James already looking at him. 

"I'm proud of you, Reg." 

Regulus smiled a genuine smile at James's words. 

"I also know that I really fucking like you and I want nothing more than to be with you," Regulus told James who's eyes instantly brightened and posture immediately straightened. 

"Are you serious?" 

"No, I'm Regulus. I'm afraid Sirius is out at the moment." 

James laughed wholeheartedly at the joke and the sound makes Regulus's heart flutter. 

"Regulus, I really like you two."

Both boys smiled at each other. 

"Regulus can I...can I kiss you?" 

"Yes please." 

That was all it took for James to press his lips against Regulus's. 

While Regulus half expected something rough and lust-filled he got a gentle kiss. One filled with unspoken words from a month and a half away from each other. 

They moved in sync, Regulus letting James lead in a way. 

After a few seconds, James pulled away causing Regulus to lean forward wanting to never forget the feeling of James's lips against his own. 

"Well fucking finally!" 

Both boys turned towards Regulus's door at the sound of Sirius shouting in excitement. 

"Ugh, Sirius!" Regulus groaned and covered his blushing face with his hands causing James to laugh. 

"Proud of you little brother!" Sirius called as he walked away from the room and to where Regulus assumed was his own. 

James continued to laugh earning a light slap on the arm from Regulus. "Don't laugh that was embarrassing," Regulus whined with his face still hidden. 

That only encouraged James to continued to chuckle. The older tilted Regulus's head so he was looking at him. 

"You're cute when you blush," James commented on the light pink that turned to a deep red at the complimented. 

"Oh my god shut up, James." Regulus had no malice in his tone as he spoke while hiding his face in Jame's chest. 

They sat like that for a while and they both appreciated it. Regulus felt tired suddenly and leaned into James more while his eyes fluttered shut. After awhile James picked Regulus up and placed him on his bed. 

"Don't even think about it," Regulus said half-joking but mostly serious. His tone made it evident that he was tired as he slurred his words and spoke barely above a whisper.

"I wasn't," James laughed. "I was going to turn on a movie so we could cuddle but if you don't want to then. I guess I'll just leave," James said as if he was offended. He even moved away from the bed as if to leave but Regulus caught his arm quickly and pulled him down on the bed. 

There was a content sigh from both of them as the movie played in the background. James spooned the smaller boy and held onto him as if he would lose him if he let go. Regulus pressed against James as much as he could as to not lose the feeling of James's cuddling him. 

~~~

Sirius ran his hand through his hair for the millionth time within the last hour. 

"Sirius, you look good. Remus will think so too," Lily told the nervous boy as he fiddled with his jacket some more. Sirius had asked Lily and Peter to come by to help him get ready. 

Since Lily was barely showing Peter didn't notice her barely-there baby bump therefore he didn't ask any questions, much to Lily's relief. 

Sirius asked Lily to pick out his outfit while Peter gave opinions on shirts, shoes, pants, etc. Sirius was told to go to the bathroom, shower, brush his teeth, style his hair, and overall just clean himself up. 

When Sirius left the bathroom with just a towel around his waist he didn't even get to blink before clothing was thrown at him. Sirius caught the clothes while keeping his towel around his waist, he turned back into the bathroom to get changed. 

Lily had picked out his nicest pair of black skinny jeans, a band t-shirt, and of course his leather jacket. Sirius had to admit that Lily and Peter picked out a good outfit. 

Once he was dressed he exited the bathroom fully dressed, hair down, and black boots on. 

"Damn I do good," Lily said once she saw Sirius exit the bathroom. 

"I also helped," Peter pointed out. 

"Yea yea, shush."

Now they were in the living room while Sirius paced anxiously. 

"Sirius Black, if you don't sit down and chill out a little," Peter said firmly after watching Sirius pace back and forth for ten minutes. 

"I'm anxious," Sirius shot back. 

"Why?" Lily asked him, genuine curiosity in her voice. 

"I haven't been on a date in...awhile. Plus Remus is a really good guy," Sirius explained as he looked at a clock on the wall nearby. It was just turning five o'clock. 

Sirius, despite his friends complaints, got up and paced some more. 

Peter only sighed but let it go this time. 

Not more than a few minutes later the doorbell rang throughout the house and Sirius quite literally ran towards the door. Before opening the door Sirius paused, took a breath, then opened the door. 

Remus looked at the boy and smiled, pretending to not notice how Sirius was slightly out of breath from running.

"Hi, we're gonna pretend like I'm out of breath for a completely different reason and I definitely didn't run to the door as soon as I heard the doorbell." 

Remus's smile got impossibly wider as Sirius tried to play it off. 

"If it makes you feel better I was running around for half the day," Remus told him. Sirius tilted his head slightly. "I was preparing what we were doing, it took a while and I asked Lily to help as well." 

Sirius's felt his heart clench and his smile widen. 

"Well in that case we should probably go, I'd hate for your hard work to be wasted," Sirius said trying to not sound desperate.

Remus nodded and with a final look towards their friends, they left.

"I hope you don't mind walking," Remus said slightly unsure. 

Sirius made sure he had his phone, wallet, etc. before turning towards Remus. "That's fine, I like walking. It's a good time to clear my head."

"I love walking, for the same reason," Remus laughed out and then they were off. 

They talked about nothing and everything while walking. It was mostly Sirius asking questions about what they were doing and where they were going. And the whole time Remus insisted on not telling him because it was a surprise. 

It was a short walk but also a familiar one for the both of them. 

"To the park?" Sirius asked once he realized where they were going.

"Shush Padfoot," Remus told him through a laugh. 

Sirius fawned over the nickname while turning his head away for a few seconds to try and hide his blush. It was unsuccesful and Remus teased him about it for a little while. 

"Are you feeling alright Pads? You've gone quite red."

"Shut it Moony," Sirius mumbled while placing his hands over his face. 

"Don't hide your face, Sirius." Sirius looked towards the taller boy. "It's cute, Pads." 

This made Sirius's face heat up more but decided to ignore this time. By now they had reached the park and Sirius looked towards Remus to ask what he was doing but didn't get the chance before he was pulled in a familiar direction. 

They soon made it to the clearing that they went to many weeks ago. 

Except this time it was a little different. 

"Remus, you didn't need to do all of this," Sirius said and turned back towards the way they came where Remus was still standing. 

"Oh shut up yes I did. I wanted it to be something memorable. Plus I feel like this is an important place to us," Remus explained and stepped closer to Sirius.

The small clearing had a blanket in the middle with a basket in the middle of the blanket. There were mason jars with fairy lights in them around the clearing creating a calm and aesthetic atmosphere. 

Remus came and gently grabbed one of Sirius's hands again, not that Sirius was complaining, and guided him to sit on the blanket. 

"Lily helped me cook, not that I can't cook but I didn't know foods that you like."

Sirius could hear the change in Remus's voice, he was nervous. 

"Remus, it's perfect. Plus I'm excited to try some of the things you've brought," Sirius told the nervous boy in front of him. 

"What do you mean try them? Have you never had some of these before?" Remus asked as confusion took over making the nervousness disapate. 

"Well food is a little different in America than it is in London, Moony. Plus I've never even had this before." Sirius pointed to an item in the basket to which Remus pulled the item out and held it. It was a Little Debbies Nutty Buddy.

"It's nothing great. Just wafer covered in peanut butter and chocolate."

"It sounds exciting," Sirius said enthusiastically. Remus looked at Sirius for a few minutes to see if he was actually being serious or if he was joking. 

"What are you staring at?" Sirius questioned after Remus didn't respond for a few minutes. 

"Have you really never had these before?"

"I've never seen them in the UK before," Sirius remarked and picked up the package, exmaining it as if it was the most interesting thing to him. 

"I've literally relied on these for days while in college," Remus laughed and took the package back to open it up. Remus opened it up and pulled out one of the wafers and placing it on a napkin. 

Sirius watched as Remus carefully broke it in half and handed one side to him. 

He looked at it as if it was a huge mystery. Remus laughed at the confusion written on Sirius's face. 

"Padfoot, just bite it." Remus was holding back laughter as Sirius carefully took a bite. 

Remus watched as Sirius pondered over the taste of the food without any emotion on his face. 

"I like it," Sirius said in an enthusiastic tone. Remus couldn't help but let out all of his laughter at that. 

"What?" Sirius asked as he continued to eat the wafer. It took Remus a few minutes before he could form a coherent sentence. 

"I've never seen someone ponder a Nutty Buddy before," Remus breathed out between laughs. 

Sirius laughed at himself before pushing Remus's shoulder. 

"You know I 'ought to make you a typical UK meal just to see you ponder over it." 

That made Remus laugh harder and that sound was like music that Sirius could listen to all day. 

Remus collected himself once more and placed the wafer on the napkin. "I've got more than just Nutty Buddy's for us to eat." 

Watching his eyes light up with excitment was Remus's new favorite thing. 

He pulled out a few sandwhichs, pasta salad in a small container, chips and dips, fruits, wine, and of course dark chocolate. Sirius looked over each item carefully before looking back up at Remus who was already looking at Sirius, gaging his reaction. 

"This is probably the most American thing I've done in awhile," Sirius pointed out as he helped Remus undo the cork on the wine bottle as well as pour them both a glass. 

"Do you like it?" Remus asked to which Sirius eagerly nodded. 

"Are you kidding? This is amazing and perfect. It's like the first date with someone of my dreams." Remus couldn't even tell if Sirius was exaggerating or not. 

Instead of questioning any further Remus described the types of sandwhiches that were prepared and allowed Sirius to pick the one he wanted. 

They sipped on wine and munched on the variety of foods that Remus and Lily prepared earlier that day. 

About halfway through the night Sirius had reached into his pocket and discovered a drawing penicl. He put his hair up with it and Remus watched as Sirius did so. Sirius also shrugged off his jacket, well aware of Remus's eyes following his actions. 

He was sporting a smug smirk as he did so but neither of them said anything. 

They continued on with their night talking about random things that came to mind. Whether it be future wishes or current things going on. 

Remus talked about his time in college and Sirius listened intently as he ate more of the chocolate-peanutbutter wafers. 

"So since you've studied psychology, is it super easy to tell when people are lying?" Sirius asked curiously and Remus chuckled at the very steroytypical question.

"Kind of, it's all about body language." Remus's eyes flicked over Sirius's body. "But I can tell more than just lying. I can tell when someone is anxious, nervous, excited, excetera." 

"I too can tell when someone is excited, it's quite easy." Sirius's cheeky joke did not go unnoticed by Remus who choked on the wine he was drinking. 

"You absolute flirt," Remus remarked as Sirius just smirked at the boy in front of him. 

"That's me."

"I wouldn't change it for the world." 

After they had finished their meal they had put containers in the basket along with trash and silverware. 

Sirius laid down on the blanket as Remus stayed sitting up. 

"Can I ask you something Moony?" 

"Of course," Remus answered honestly. Sirius looked from the night sky to the tall boy next to him. 

"Why did you ask me to go out with you?"

Out of all questions Remus though Sirius would ask that wasn't one of them. Remus thought over his answer for a few seconds before looking into Sirius's dark brown eyes. 

"When we first met, you and I danced together." Sirius smiled and nodded along. "It was by no means a good dance but it was fun." 

"What are you getting at Remus?" Sirius asked not really following as to what Remus was trying to say. 

"I've never connected with someone faster than I have with you. It was interesting and I wanted to no more about why. I definitely don't regret asking." 

"Well I definitely don't wish you had done otherwise. This is the most fun I've had in awhile and I'm glad it was with you," Sirius responded honestly.

They both smiled at each other and for the rest of the night that smile stayed on their faces. 

~~~

James slowing untangled his body from Regulus who had fallen asleep halfway through the second movie. 

After successfully getting up without waking Regulus, James carefully left the room and shut the door. 

He sighed a sigh of relief once he was able to do all of the quietly. 

James went down the steps to grab water, he planned to grab water and go back up stairs and cuddle with Regulus. That didn't happen. 

When he was downstairs he saw Lily and Peter in the living room so he went over and tried to sit next to Lily. 

She quickly got up from her seat as James sat down. 

"Uh, I have to leave," Lily said quickly making both boys confused. 

"Lily you just said you could stay the whole night to ask Sirius about his date," Peter pointed out. 

Lily mentally facepalmed and tried to stutter out an excuse. 

When she didn't it clicked in James's mind. "Is this about what happened?" 

"James-" Lily tried to start. 

"Because if it is I thought we both agreed that it wouldn’t affect our friendship." 

"James-" Lily tried once more but James continued on. 

"It all makes sense now. You've been avoiding me haven't you?" 

"James I...yes I've been avoiding you but not because of the reason that you think." 

"Oh really what other reason could you have?" James asked incredulously. 

"James! Just stop you ignorant idiot," Lily shouted in frustration before grabbing her bag and walking out of the house. 

James let out a noise of frustration once she was gone. 

"What the hell was that?" Peter asked him after a few seconds. 

"I don't even know, I'm going back upstairs." 

Peter nodded and James went back to Regulus's room. 

"James? Are you alright?" Regulus asked in a groggy voice as James walked into his room. 

James silently cursed for waking the boy up. 

"Nothing Lily and I just got into an argument," James said through a sigh. 

Regulus nodded and scooted over making room for James on the bed. James gratefully accepted the invitation and sat next to Regulus. 

"I'm sure Lily will come around. Just give her a little bit to cool off and try again another day," Regulus reassured to which James nodded. 

"Yea I just-"

"What?" Regulus asked him. 

"Nothing it's nothing let's just relax," James suggested clearly wanting to change the subject. 

Regulus focused his attention back on the TV and commented on the movie a couple of time in order to change the subject. 

James went along and soon enough they were back to watching the movie. However what Lily said to him still played on James's mind the whole time.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think or if you have any feedback for me <3


End file.
